The comic book is superb and contains significant examination of some transhumanist issues, with especially good description of Dr. Manhattan’s value drift. The movie is a very suitable substitute IMO, due to largely sticking to the comic and an awesome visual effects and soundtrack.
Besides transhumanism other favorite LW issues are in play, e.g. utilitarianism vs. deontology and free will.
Really? If he’d been set up as a villain, I would have thought that—but he wasn’t. The only judgements explicitly passed on him are “without condoning, or condemning, I understand;” and “nothing ever ends, Adrian.” Even before reading OB/LW, I read that as saying Ozymandias had taken on a larger moral responsibility; one that couldn’t be met just by doing his best—if he was going to go “full consequentialist,” he needed to make sure he would actually succeed.
There is something to what Nancy is saying. I would say the authors, while reserving judgement, were highly suspicious of high motives (though I wouldn’t call it self-improvement). Being suspicious of high motives is an LW theme in itself. The self-aggrandizement, callousness etc. were skillfully inserted to prevent the viewer/reader from making a black and white conclusion without thinking. Another reason I love this work :)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watchmen
The comic book is superb and contains significant examination of some transhumanist issues, with especially good description of Dr. Manhattan’s value drift. The movie is a very suitable substitute IMO, due to largely sticking to the comic and an awesome visual effects and soundtrack.
Besides transhumanism other favorite LW issues are in play, e.g. utilitarianism vs. deontology and free will.
Definitely a matter of point of view—I thought the portrayal of Ozymandias was a way of saying that being ambitious about improving oneself is yucky.
Really? If he’d been set up as a villain, I would have thought that—but he wasn’t. The only judgements explicitly passed on him are “without condoning, or condemning, I understand;” and “nothing ever ends, Adrian.” Even before reading OB/LW, I read that as saying Ozymandias had taken on a larger moral responsibility; one that couldn’t be met just by doing his best—if he was going to go “full consequentialist,” he needed to make sure he would actually succeed.
There is something to what Nancy is saying. I would say the authors, while reserving judgement, were highly suspicious of high motives (though I wouldn’t call it self-improvement). Being suspicious of high motives is an LW theme in itself. The self-aggrandizement, callousness etc. were skillfully inserted to prevent the viewer/reader from making a black and white conclusion without thinking. Another reason I love this work :)