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Model Zero: Why You Are Obsolete at Almost Every Level and Live Largely in Fiction
What is real? You are inclined to drift deeper and deeper into fictional thinking and obsolescence. You keep constructing and sticking with increasingly obsolete ideas about the world, even though many of them were rather fictional to begin with. Model Zero shows how these forces emerge. Some very basic operating principles of your mind, mental models and language pull you towards fiction. The way you interact with the world through mediating structures, ranging from electronic devices to words and mental models, creates an inertial force which leads you away from your goals. By mastering these forces, you can evolve towards a mentally and physically greater being who inhabits a very different kind of reality. Model Zero is a toolkit for reconstructing yourself as someone who can thrive in an environment that is changing at an exponential pace.
202 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2014
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October 26, 2015
Model Zero is a fundamental philosophical framework for transhumanism.
Model Zero starts with an introduction of the Indirect Observation Model: recognizing that our internal representations are not identical to the 'reality' we're observing (and very likely can never be). We use 'tool' to refer to any method that can be used, whether a physical object or a mental schema. Actually, any of our models of reality can be seen as a tool in this light. Thus, our models of reality, ourself and everything else warrant being judged based on our context and goals =]
That's the crux, but there are many more interesting details and implications of model zero ;-)
How does this lead to you being obsolete at almost every level? It starts with tool inertia, and you'll have to read the book to find out the rest of the details :p
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The one area where I think Ari's framework is subpar is "the user." He goes out of his way to define a "user boundary" between that which can potentially be used and that which is doing the using. Of course, he is aware that this is ambiguous and a bit reminiscent of a homunculus, and argues that despite not necessarily being accurate, it is a relevant and useful model.
I think this formalization is excessive and not necessary, and there are simple(r) models that are at least as relevant.
One can view "the user" as a model itself, as we have "self models."
This way, there is not necessarily anything inside the "user boundary," and using a "user" model is simply relevant to controling a local human body ^_^
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Model Zero starts with an introduction of the Indirect Observation Model: recognizing that our internal representations are not identical to the 'reality' we're observing (and very likely can never be). We use 'tool' to refer to any method that can be used, whether a physical object or a mental schema. Actually, any of our models of reality can be seen as a tool in this light. Thus, our models of reality, ourself and everything else warrant being judged based on our context and goals =]
That's the crux, but there are many more interesting details and implications of model zero ;-)
How does this lead to you being obsolete at almost every level? It starts with tool inertia, and you'll have to read the book to find out the rest of the details :p
---
The one area where I think Ari's framework is subpar is "the user." He goes out of his way to define a "user boundary" between that which can potentially be used and that which is doing the using. Of course, he is aware that this is ambiguous and a bit reminiscent of a homunculus, and argues that despite not necessarily being accurate, it is a relevant and useful model.
I think this formalization is excessive and not necessary, and there are simple(r) models that are at least as relevant.
One can view "the user" as a model itself, as we have "self models."
This way, there is not necessarily anything inside the "user boundary," and using a "user" model is simply relevant to controling a local human body ^_^
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Displaying 1 of 1 review