Every now and I then I see (or hear) people involved in EA refer to Moloch[1], as if this is a specific force that should be actively resisted and acted against. Genuine question: are people just using the term “Moloch” to refer to incentives [2] that nudge us to do bad things? Is there any reason why we should say “Moloch” instead of “incentives,” or is this merely a sort of in-group shibboleth? Am I being naïve or otherwise missing something here?
As well as the other influences on our motives from things external to ourselves, such as the culture and society that we grew up in, or how we earn respect and admiration from peers.
I see it as “incentives that nudge us to do bad things”, plus this incentive structure being something that naturally emerges or is hard to avoid (“the dictatorless dictatorship”).
I think “Moloch” gets this across a bit better than just “incentives” which could include things like bonuses which are deliberately set up by other people to encourage certain behaviour.
Every now and I then I see (or hear) people involved in EA refer to Moloch[1], as if this is a specific force that should be actively resisted and acted against. Genuine question: are people just using the term “Moloch” to refer to incentives [2] that nudge us to do bad things? Is there any reason why we should say “Moloch” instead of “incentives,” or is this merely a sort of in-group shibboleth? Am I being naïve or otherwise missing something here?
Presumably, Scott Alexander’s 2014 Meditations on Moloch essay has been very widely read among EAs.
As well as the other influences on our motives from things external to ourselves, such as the culture and society that we grew up in, or how we earn respect and admiration from peers.
I see it as “incentives that nudge us to do bad things”, plus this incentive structure being something that naturally emerges or is hard to avoid (“the dictatorless dictatorship”).
I think “Moloch” gets this across a bit better than just “incentives” which could include things like bonuses which are deliberately set up by other people to encourage certain behaviour.