First, let me say I appreciate the healthy debate. Now onto your points.
The Angry One wrote...
There is no logical conclusion to evolution. Not in real life, and not in the game.
There is. There is always a winner in game theory. And if a species has reached the pinnacle of intellectual evolution, there is absolutely no need for physical evolution. If I'm smart enough to react successfully to any change in my environment, no random mutation in my species is going to spread. Again, I don't think you totally grasp the concept of evolution. It's logical conclusion is the end of evolution.
The Catalyst flat out says that the only way to achieve peace is to make that which is different the same.
This is not opinion, this is what is stated. The implcations are there
The implications are there taken out of context. The context of the argument is that both lifeforms are not equal. Synthetics are nigh infinitely more intelligent, and thus will always reach a state where they find organic life meaningless in the grand scheme of things. The issue is humans can only evolve so far, where as Geth/EDI can evovle almost infinitely. So the differences between the two as it stands now will not create the end of life. The difference between the species, once synthetics have evolved way past where organics can ever reach, will lead to the end of all organic life.
I am in constant amusement of ending defenders assuming those they disagree with are ignorant. Projecting much?
I never said anything about Casey Hudson, that's where you are assuming. I am saying that there are implications, which there are.
Yes, well it's a defense mechanism for the assumption everyone who is pro synthesis is morally repulsive. Which, if you haven't noticed, is the topic of about 50% of the anti-synthesis threads on this forum, which make up like a 15% of all topics.
And your conclusions do rest on assumptions you've made. As do mine.
Even if we could, it would not be the pinnacle of evolution! It would be a form of life successful in some areas and less viable in others, the same as all life is everywhere.
Again, I don't think you're really getting evolution. If you're capacity for intelligence has reached a pinnacle, you're more viable than any physical trait could make you. Example is the quarians. They've not only stopped their physical evolution, but regressed it. If you can find a solution to a change in your environment faster than a genetic mutation, the genetic mutation is never going to spread through your population, and thus the evolutionary change is never going to happen. It's assumed synthesis has made everyone -that- smart, which is the whole point to begin with.
Again, the argument is that you rewrote everyone's genetic code so it's impossible for any mutation to make them SMARTER. Thus, this is the end of evolution. I suggest Richard Dawkins' "The Selfish Gene," if you're interested in the subject.
You can believe or disagree with what he says, but they are intolerant.
They aren't. This isn't actually a counterpoint. You just restated your opinion. Please describe how they're intolerant if the following is axiomatic:
1. All organic races which have been allowed to develop synthetic life unchecked have eventually been wiped out.
2. All synthetic life will evolve far beyond the capacity of organic life, and thus find organic life meaningless in the grand scheme of the universe.
These are the truths we're supposed to accept. If you don't, you're making an assumption. You couldn't possibly know those two axioms are false. Personally I agree with the notion those two axioms are far fetched, but I disagree that they're necessarily false.
Animals are not sapient, and do not demonstrate this in any way.
If they could, do you think humans would take this lying down? There are humans who protect and preserve animals NOW, let alone if they were provably intelligent.
The Catalyst's beliefs stem from it's philosophy that sentient beings cannot get along because they are different, the difference being organic and synthetic. THAT is racist, THAT is intolerant and THAT is utterly reprihensible.
Intelligence is qualitative. To beings with nigh infinite intellect, we would seem incredibly stupid.
And again, I think it was presented terribly. And I cannot fault anyone for interpreting it as you have. And I certainly cannot claim my interpretation is definitely right. However, the difference between organic and synthetic is not the problem I think the catalyst was trying to get across. It was the difference in the evolution of the two, and how the evolution of synthetic has almost infinite more potential than the evolution of an organic, and that eventual seperation in intellect leads to the inevitable conflict. I don't think the argument was the Geth will eventually kill us. I think the argument was the Geth's 1,000th iteration from now, which is almost infinitely more intelligent than us, will eventually kill us.