Definitions
The *Moral Noosphere* is a hypothetical, dynamic sphere of humanity’s collective consciousness that emerges as an emergent property of the interactions of moral thoughts, intentions, values, and actions of individuals (and, hypothetically, artificial intelligences). It forms a hierarchical ethical environment that actively develops new moral norms and influences society through social, cultural, cognitive, and informational mechanisms (e.g., moral resonance, memetic exchange, social synergy), and possibly nonlocal interactions (controversial). Manifestations of the moral noosphere include mass ethical movements, such as the fight for human rights, which reshape global norms through resonance and synergy.
Key Terms
- Noosphere: The sphere of human thought encompassing knowledge, ideas, culture, and technology, influencing the biosphere and the evolution of civilization.
- Collective Consciousness: The aggregate of ideas, values, and norms formed through the interactions of individuals (and potentially AI), shaping societal behavior.
- Emergent Property: A quality of a system that arises from the interactions of its components and cannot be reduced to their sum.
- Moral Thoughts, Intentions, Values: Subjective cognitive states, ethical judgments, or principles, including socially adapted patterns (e.g., justice, compassion) and spiritual-moral impulses (e.g., unconditional love, sacrifice).
- Dynamic and Hierarchical Ethical Environment: A space where moral ideas interact, evolve, and form new norms, with a hierarchy of norms that may conflict or be subordinated.
- Moral Resonance: The amplification or spread of moral influence through the interaction of similar ethical thoughts or actions.
- Memetic Exchange: The transmission of cultural units of information (memes) with moral significance through books, art, social media, etc.
- Social Synergy: The enhancement of the effect of moral actions through collective interaction, surpassing the sum of individual contributions.
- Nonlocal Interactions (controversial): The hypothetical ability of moral ideas or intentions to influence distant systems without physical or social intermediaries.