I appreciate, again, the clear writing and the clarification of terms.
A minor quibble:
Differential progress also includes slowing risk-increasing progress.
I don’t think that should count as progress (unless it was some sort of “progress” that led to that). You may still have Differential Actions which could either increase safety or lower risk. I guess I’m not sure what is progress.
And yes, I think that’s a fair point. (David also said the same when giving feedback.) This is why I write:
Also note that we’re using “progress” here as a neutral descriptor, referring to something that could be good or could be bad; the positive connotations that the term often has should be set aside.
I think that if I could unilaterally and definitively decide on the terms, I’d go with “differential technological development” (so keep that one the same), “differential intellectual development”, and “differential development”. I.e., I’d skip the word “progress”, because we’re really talking about something more like “lasting changes”, without the positive connotations.
But I arrived a little late to set the terms myself :D
I.e., the term “differential intellectual progress” is already somewhat established, as is “differential progress”, though to a slightly lesser extent. It’s not absolutely too late to change them, but I’d worry about creating confusion by doing so, especially in a summary-style post like this.
However, it is true that my specific examples include some things that sound particularly not like progress at all, such as spread of nationalism and egoism. In contrast, Muehlhauser and Salamon’s examples of “risk-increasing progress” sound more like the sort of thing people might regularly call “progress”, but that they’re highlighting could increase risks.
My current thinking is that how I’ve sliced things up (into something like lasting changes in techs, then lasting changes in ideas, then lasting changes of any sort) does feel most natural, and that the way that this makes the usage of the term “progress” confusing is a price worth paying.
But I’m not certain of that, and would be interested in others’ thoughts on that too.
I think that if I could unilaterally and definitively decide on the terms, I’d go with “differential technological development” (so keep that one the same), “differential intellectual development”, and “differential development”. I.e., I’d skip the word “progress”, because we’re really talking about something more like “lasting changes”, without the positive connotations.
I agree, “development” seems like a superior word to reduce ambiguities. But as you say, this is a summary post, so it might not the best place to suggest switching up terms.
Here’s two long form alternatives to “differential progress”/”differential development”: differential societal development, differential civilizational development.
I appreciate, again, the clear writing and the clarification of terms.
A minor quibble:
I don’t think that should count as progress (unless it was some sort of “progress” that led to that). You may still have Differential Actions which could either increase safety or lower risk. I guess I’m not sure what is progress.
Thanks!
And yes, I think that’s a fair point. (David also said the same when giving feedback.) This is why I write:
I think that if I could unilaterally and definitively decide on the terms, I’d go with “differential technological development” (so keep that one the same), “differential intellectual development”, and “differential development”. I.e., I’d skip the word “progress”, because we’re really talking about something more like “lasting changes”, without the positive connotations.
But I arrived a little late to set the terms myself :D
I.e., the term “differential intellectual progress” is already somewhat established, as is “differential progress”, though to a slightly lesser extent. It’s not absolutely too late to change them, but I’d worry about creating confusion by doing so, especially in a summary-style post like this.
However, it is true that my specific examples include some things that sound particularly not like progress at all, such as spread of nationalism and egoism. In contrast, Muehlhauser and Salamon’s examples of “risk-increasing progress” sound more like the sort of thing people might regularly call “progress”, but that they’re highlighting could increase risks.
My current thinking is that how I’ve sliced things up (into something like lasting changes in techs, then lasting changes in ideas, then lasting changes of any sort) does feel most natural, and that the way that this makes the usage of the term “progress” confusing is a price worth paying.
But I’m not certain of that, and would be interested in others’ thoughts on that too.
I agree, “development” seems like a superior word to reduce ambiguities. But as you say, this is a summary post, so it might not the best place to suggest switching up terms.
Here’s two long form alternatives to “differential progress”/”differential development”: differential societal development, differential civilizational development.