I can see that EA could optimise for being respectable with some controversial ideas rather than fully truth seeking. But that seems like a hard equilibrium, similarly difficult to manifest in fact:
Manifest is trying to be truthseeking without being full of racists
EA might try to be a mix of truth seeking and respectable, without becoming milquetoast.
If that were our aim, what would our north star be and how could we know we weren’t ending up incapable of discussing difficult things. Already it seems that a number of issues are ‘not the sort we should be truthseeking about’ in the opinion of some. How do we avoid that becoming too broad a set.
Likewise, the norms that lead to this seem pretty bad—guilt by association, inability to consider ideas on their merits—and by giving in to these norms we might strengthen them. EA has the opportunity to push back against the idea that if you engage with a few bad people you must be bad. I imagine overall this idea causes a lot of damage and is driven by fear of cancellation. I’m not sure we should endorse acting in that way.
It is plausible this is the best way to be, but I’d ask, when do we stop?
I can see that EA could optimise for being respectable with some controversial ideas rather than fully truth seeking. But that seems like a hard equilibrium, similarly difficult to manifest in fact:
Manifest is trying to be truthseeking without being full of racists
EA might try to be a mix of truth seeking and respectable, without becoming milquetoast.
If that were our aim, what would our north star be and how could we know we weren’t ending up incapable of discussing difficult things. Already it seems that a number of issues are ‘not the sort we should be truthseeking about’ in the opinion of some. How do we avoid that becoming too broad a set.
Likewise, the norms that lead to this seem pretty bad—guilt by association, inability to consider ideas on their merits—and by giving in to these norms we might strengthen them. EA has the opportunity to push back against the idea that if you engage with a few bad people you must be bad. I imagine overall this idea causes a lot of damage and is driven by fear of cancellation. I’m not sure we should endorse acting in that way.
It is plausible this is the best way to be, but I’d ask, when do we stop?