Given the is-ought problem, nihilism is the default state of existence. There is no absolute reason to, but often forgotten, it goes both ways, hence there is no reason to not. We have wants, so a beautiful truth is that we simply can declare our wants, and work to fulfill them (aka ‘meaning of life’ or ‘purpose’). These wants we follow are called terminal goals (TG). Why? Literally, “because I said so”.
The (epistemic) progress of human morality can be generalized to expose a convergence on Autonomy: One may do whatever they please, except directly affect another agent unconsensually. While we don’t yet know the rule behind what we consent to, we can usually discern whether we consent to something, as well as predict the consent of others and ask if we are uncertain.
When one can’t consent (eg: children; dogs) we should make choices in service of their probable wants (eg: positive wellbeing). This leads to my preferred flavor of this moral theory, which has an imperative for one to actively make positive another agent’s wellbeing, assuming their own positive wellbeing can be maintained. Mmm, strawberry! This morality may be enforced by setting boundaries. Literally, “you’re not invited to my birthday party”, or “what the heck bro”. You may see that this approximates our morals well. Footnote .A links to my reasoning, discovered issues, and a more thorough.
Hope Risks (HR) are the risks of no longer being able to progress our terminal goals. In other words, there is no hope left, also known as doom. Within the context of our TGs, HRs are very bad, so we should avoid them. The probability of HRs in comparison to how equipped we are to handle them is unacceptably high. Project HRPA aims to make humanity competent enough to manage HRs.
Examples include
Together, these are all hope risks. It’s in everyone’s interest to avoid them.
Potential Actualization (PA) is to positively progress our terminal goals to their full potential.
Imagine your perfect life. Positively progressing our TGs includes that, within the scope of what’s moral and physically possible. A reason I work on Project HRPA is because things I want, like a normal childhood, freedom from mental / physical disability, as well as to live life as my true self, weren’t afforded to me, and I don’t foresee it in the near future (I also don’t have access to therapy).
This is Potential Actualization, and it’s in everyone’s interest.
I, and most if not all other humans, are not smart enough to figure out how to mitigate Hope Risks and achieve Potential Actualization on their own. I’ve tried for four years, before realizing that the path forward is plural. People together, specializing, unifying, and forming a greater whole, are enough.
The first instrumental goal that I set in service of our terminal goals is to assemble some passionate nerds, so we may set aside our differences and put our heads together to figure out how to work on these, forming The Project HRPA Council.
So, I call upon you to join me, in making a more hopeful future ;)
Mira, from Mirana’s Proposal for Hope Risks and Potential Actualization, signing off.