To add some specificity to this article, I can think of a few examples of cultural/philosophical perspectives that most people often take as assumptions in the LW Diaspora (that would not be shared by all historical humans). I like most of these assumptions, but it's always nice to specify your axioms, right?

• We are observers of an objective system of matter and energy that follows simple, particle-level rules.

• Most physical goals can be achieved given enough thought.

• Every running instance of a pattern that is close to a human brain is a moral peer. We want to promote the prosperity of peers. Mammals and other megafauna are peers of maybe 1/10 the moral weight.

• We want moral peers to have comfort, happiness, and (maybe instrumentally) control over their lives.

• We prefer to promote the prosperity of each individual human over the prosperity of an organization or the prosperity of each human cell.

• We would prefer to replace 'barren' regions (eg Mars) with ecosystems or industrial systems.

• A consensus of many diverse intelligences usually makes safer, more accurate decisions than a dictatorship of one intelligence.

• Where our current cultural perspective differs from past, contemporary, or future cultural perspectives, we are open to the idea that our perspective is not the best.

• Earth transitioned from an abiotic planet to a planet with a biosphere, and that is somewhat unusual.