I don’t know that there is a rebuttal. Wireheading goes all the way back to Homer:
They started at once, and went about among the Lotus-eaters, who did them no hurt, but gave them to eat of the lotus, which was so delicious that those who ate of it left off caring about home, and did not even want to go back and say what had happened to them, but were for staying and munching lotus with the Lotus-eaters without thinking further of their return; nevertheless, though they wept bitterly I forced them back to the ships and made them fast under the benches. Then I told the rest to go on board at once, lest any of them should taste of the lotus and leave off wanting to get home
--The Odyssey
The solution there seems to be not to do it in the first place. It has long been a theme of dystopian fiction that our technology will erode or destroy what it means to be human. Playing around with the brain is definitely going to change things, most likely in ways we can’t quite predict—not to mention any accidental damage caused by novel methods. The only rebuttal I can think of is that our current technology is too crude and barbarous to make such modifications worth the drawbacks.
I think there’s still some solace though. There’s always a reaction to technology that tries to become too invasive. Many are willing to use drugs to regulate their moods, but there’s also strong counter-pressure. New technology doesn’t spread overnight. We’ll have plenty of examples of brain-modified people before the methods become widespread. I’d like to think people will be able to decide whether it’s worth the cost before they jump headlong into it.
I don’t know that there is a rebuttal. Wireheading goes all the way back to Homer:
--The Odyssey
The solution there seems to be not to do it in the first place. It has long been a theme of dystopian fiction that our technology will erode or destroy what it means to be human. Playing around with the brain is definitely going to change things, most likely in ways we can’t quite predict—not to mention any accidental damage caused by novel methods. The only rebuttal I can think of is that our current technology is too crude and barbarous to make such modifications worth the drawbacks.
I think there’s still some solace though. There’s always a reaction to technology that tries to become too invasive. Many are willing to use drugs to regulate their moods, but there’s also strong counter-pressure. New technology doesn’t spread overnight. We’ll have plenty of examples of brain-modified people before the methods become widespread. I’d like to think people will be able to decide whether it’s worth the cost before they jump headlong into it.