Most discussions of rationalism involve the study of cognitive biases, personality, and human behavior, but, imho, a ‘systems/logical’ approach to rationalism is more propitious than understanding cognitive biases and human behavior. I believe that rationalism is to choose the optimal choice of all available options. Once one acquires an understanding of the fundamentals of an… Continue reading A systems-based approach to rationalism
Tag: rationalism
The Tyler Cowen-Rationality feud is getting out of hand
A brouhaha has erupted between Tyler Cowen and the Rationality community over comments made in an interview with Ezra Klein, in in which Tyler Cowen, in an uncharacteristic outburst of candidness, lambasted the Rationality community for what he perceives as religiosity and homogeneity: But I would approve of them much more if they called themselves… Continue reading The Tyler Cowen-Rationality feud is getting out of hand
Defining and Understanding Rationalism
Rationalism can have two definitions: first, a community that call themselves Rationalists, that read ‘high-IQ sites’ such as Marginal Revolution, Less Wrong, and Slate Star Codex, and according to various surveys, identify as liberal, are atheist or agnostic, and, in general, hold a ‘realist’ philosophical worldview. Second, an epistemological approach–to try to see the hidden… Continue reading Defining and Understanding Rationalism
Materialism and Empircisim are Easy; Idealism is Hard
Empiricism vs Idealism: Empiricism begins with the hypothesis that there is an objective reality independent of humanity and we may use inductive logic to learn about this reality through our senses. We can experiment and test the validity of our ideas. The scientific method is a method of empirical testing to prevent common fallacies and… Continue reading Materialism and Empircisim are Easy; Idealism is Hard
Scott, Utilitarians, The Rational Middle, Scientism, and Liberals
But he has no enemies to the left, and no friends to the right, which means that all his friends are his enemies, and all his enemies are his friends. It would seem like there’s a mutual respect and camaraderie between Scott Alexander (and also Scott Adams), who represents the ‘rational middle’ or ‘rational left‘,… Continue reading Scott, Utilitarians, The Rational Middle, Scientism, and Liberals
Intellect: The Universal Solvent
In late December 2015, Scott Alexander’s How Bad Are Things article went massivly viral, with accolades from both right-wing and left-wing communities and forums, which got me (and others) thinking about how Scott is consistently able to transcend the left/right bulwark. Normally, people write articles for a specific audience or clique in mind, and spillovers… Continue reading Intellect: The Universal Solvent
Defending ‘Theory’ and Rationalism
Some background to understand how the "rationalists" a la Dawkins have a nonscientific view of humans. pic.twitter.com/B4qACpgqgs — NassimNicholasTaleb (@nntaleb) February 4, 2016 Lib Nicholas Nassim Taleb takes another shot at Dawkins. As for the passage itself, there’s room for both theory and empiricism, as I explain in an earlier article Falsifiability, String Theory, and… Continue reading Defending ‘Theory’ and Rationalism
Reactionary Realism
From Poseidon Awoke, NRx: Against Platonic Rationalism: I believe that the Dark Enlightenment is the realization that we are currently governed by pseudosciences, which were created out of the Enlightenment exuberance for the human ability to reason (rationalize). What the children of the Enlightenment did not understand was the limits of human cognition and the… Continue reading Reactionary Realism