To be a bit more concrete, I spend my time talking to politicians, policy makers, risk mangers, climate scientists, military strategists, activists. I think most of these people would understand “deep uncertainty” and “wicked problem” but less so “cluelessness”. I think they would mean the same thing by this term as this post means by “cluelessness”. I think the fact that “cluelessness” became the popular term in EA has made things a bit more challenging for me.
I recognise that expecting people to police their language against the possibility some term they introduce their audience to is suboptimal is a high bar. Philosophers use philosophy language and that is obviously fine. I just wish “cluelessness” hadn’t been the term that seemed to stick in EA and that one of these other words had been used (and also I think that the talk could have benefited from recognising that this is an issue that gets attention and has reasonable solutions outside of philosophy).
To be a bit more concrete, I spend my time talking to politicians, policy makers, risk mangers, climate scientists, military strategists, activists. I think most of these people would understand “deep uncertainty” and “wicked problem” but less so “cluelessness”. I think they would mean the same thing by this term as this post means by “cluelessness”. I think the fact that “cluelessness” became the popular term in EA has made things a bit more challenging for me.
I recognise that expecting people to police their language against the possibility some term they introduce their audience to is suboptimal is a high bar. Philosophers use philosophy language and that is obviously fine. I just wish “cluelessness” hadn’t been the term that seemed to stick in EA and that one of these other words had been used (and also I think that the talk could have benefited from recognising that this is an issue that gets attention and has reasonable solutions outside of philosophy).