I observed many people(including other Transhumanists) feeling scared when they see the topic of race and IQ being discussed because they want to avoid more atrocities like in the past.
I do understand though that people of the transhumanism crowd generally think of increasing human genetic capabilities as a good thing.
I think they mean well and want to avoid accidently promoting harmful views by speaking with empathy and compassion on the topic
Not a question specifically for OP, but in general what does it mean to speak with rigor and empathy on the topic?
(I think many people not used to thinking with empathy would assume “it would mean every few minutes going on a tangent about an atrocity and clarify that bad thing is bad”. I am embarrassed to say that I also have an underdeveloped ability to talk about sensitive views with empathy and am not sure how to do so)
I tend to agree with freedomandutility here that it’s much better not to discuss such things at all. But to discuss them with empathy and rigour would be to, for example:
think about what it would make readers and EA newcomers feel
think how it would help us to make the world a better place, if at all
think whether the focus on race division is scientific (well defined and makes sense to use for this) or whether it just comes from racist wishful thinking
not treat easily measured proxies as the same thing as what we actually care about, and think why those might differ
I observed many people(including other Transhumanists) feeling scared when they see the topic of race and IQ being discussed because they want to avoid more atrocities like in the past.
I do understand though that people of the transhumanism crowd generally think of increasing human genetic capabilities as a good thing.
I think they mean well and want to avoid accidently promoting harmful views by speaking with empathy and compassion on the topic
Not a question specifically for OP, but in general what does it mean to speak with rigor and empathy on the topic? (I think many people not used to thinking with empathy would assume “it would mean every few minutes going on a tangent about an atrocity and clarify that bad thing is bad”. I am embarrassed to say that I also have an underdeveloped ability to talk about sensitive views with empathy and am not sure how to do so)
I tend to agree with freedomandutility here that it’s much better not to discuss such things at all. But to discuss them with empathy and rigour would be to, for example:
think about what it would make readers and EA newcomers feel
think how it would help us to make the world a better place, if at all
think whether the focus on race division is scientific (well defined and makes sense to use for this) or whether it just comes from racist wishful thinking
not treat easily measured proxies as the same thing as what we actually care about, and think why those might differ