It is surprising to see a community of rationalists so opposed to Bostrom’s original point, which is that object level discussions of potentially uncomfortable truths are best avoided in general company, but useful among rationalists.
I am especially disappointed in Bostrom himself, who seems to hedge on a belief he still clearly believes to be empirically valid.
Genetic differences in intelligence are certainly an impolite discussion, but Bostrom’s original framing coincides with my view; intelligence is not tied to moral worth or human dignity, but, for a moral philosophy focused on improving wellbeing, the topic is worth exploring.
Blank slate naivety should not have a home in a rationalist community, and we should embrace evidence regardless of what truths it leads to. I would be much more comfortable with a debate on the merits of evidence and ramifications than dismissal on aesthetic grounds of “racism.” At the least, we could discuss hereditarianism as in information hazard, but the outright dismissal of a strongly supported position seems at odds with the principles of this community.
It is surprising to see a community of rationalists so opposed to Bostrom’s original point, which is that object level discussions of potentially uncomfortable truths are best avoided in general company, but useful among rationalists.
I am especially disappointed in Bostrom himself, who seems to hedge on a belief he still clearly believes to be empirically valid.
Genetic differences in intelligence are certainly an impolite discussion, but Bostrom’s original framing coincides with my view; intelligence is not tied to moral worth or human dignity, but, for a moral philosophy focused on improving wellbeing, the topic is worth exploring.
Blank slate naivety should not have a home in a rationalist community, and we should embrace evidence regardless of what truths it leads to. I would be much more comfortable with a debate on the merits of evidence and ramifications than dismissal on aesthetic grounds of “racism.” At the least, we could discuss hereditarianism as in information hazard, but the outright dismissal of a strongly supported position seems at odds with the principles of this community.