Since the last thread was locked (and had, in any case, been completely derailed), I'll respond to ShadowDragon8685's points in this thread.
To recap, ShadowDragon8685's argument is that all creatures above a certain imaginary line on an equally imaginary scale of "sapience" should be given equal rights, and that all creatures below should be at the mercy of those above and be ready to face exploitation, torture and murder (only it's not really any of those things, because they don't have rights) at the hands of those endowed with rights.
ShadowDragon8685 also claims to not be a social Darwinist, so clearly there must be some moral logic behind their position.
I have the following questions:
1: How is "sapience" defined?
2: Why is sapience more morally relevant than other mental faculties? Why is sentience less important than sapience, even when it comes to the right to not feel suffering, which is entirely dependent on sentience and has nothing to do with sapience?
3: If sapience is on a scale, why are not the rights granted by sapience similarly on a scale? Why doesn't Stephen Hawking have more rights than a kid with Down's syndrome, and why doesn't a super-intelligent AI have more rights than humans?
4: If sapience is not on a scale, how come it differs in that respect from every other mental faculty we know of?
5: How can you know that you're on the side with rights, rather than the side without rights? Why can't a super-intelligent AI use your logic to declare you a lesser creature and then kill you?
Finally, I'd like to comment on something ShadowDragon8685 said: "I am not (a social Darwinist), and in fact quite the opposite: it is well-armed people who protect weak people against predators".
I agree. But in our current society, those who use force to protect the weak who happen to not belong to our species are branded terrorists.
When I asked why a super-intelligent AI shouldn't simply treat you like you treat those less intelligent than you, you said:
"Because I have (as a species, mind you,) many, many megatons of force that say I am not to be trifled with nor considered a trivial thing of no consequence."
If you exploit the weak and then say that it's okay because your access to force makes it hard for others to do the same to you, sorry, you're a social Darwinist.
—
President of PETE: People for the Ethical Treatment of Exhumans.
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"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote." -Benjamin Franklin