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Wolkkin t1_j8gqmg9 wrote

And in many cases, soundly reject them.

The typical American standard of ‘degeneracy’ would shock a Victorian (British) era person, while a Roman citizen would wonder why we were so uptight about exposing our bodies. And that’s just one example of a cultural more; in response, both Roman and Victorian would wonder where our slaves went, and the typical American would (hopefully) be shocked at their callous treatment of another human being.

I agree with your sentiment of careful thought with the extent and implementation of new tech, but the term “degeneracy” places a moral scale on the situation that invites conflict and abuse. I would suggest something more like ‘just’ or ‘equitable’ as a better phrase for discussion.

(…and while it seems like being picky about the language is silly or petty, I believe it is vital to clear communication and eliminating grey areas that invite “word over spirit” loopholes and ‘rule’ bending.) Just my two bits.

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[deleted] OP t1_j8gshoe wrote

Injustice and inequity are not the same as decadence although the former can and often does lead to the latter. This is especially true if decadence starts to appear in the highest echelons of society. It is particularly scary when you apply this paradigm to the posthuman condition.

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