faul_sname comments on Absolute denial for atheists - Less Wrong

39 Post author: taw 16 July 2009 03:41PM

You are viewing a comment permalink. View the original post to see all comments and the full post content.

Comments (571)

You are viewing a single comment's thread. Show more comments above.

Comment author: faul_sname 18 April 2012 06:15:12AM 1 point [-]

1st one: Nope, don't think anyone here would dispute that, except on the grounds that it's rather nonspecific.

2nd one: Only if it were in the form of encouraging particularly valuable individuals to reproduce more. Removing even the bottom 50% would have fairly negligible effects compared to doubling the top 1%. Several countries already implement programs to encourage the most valuable members to reproduce more (with mixed success).

3rd one: I find it nearly impossible to find any good data on that either way. Pending evidence, it looks like most of the quality of life and education effects can basically be explained by looking at who got the industrial revolution first. Unless very large effect sizes were found, however, the policy implications would be minimal or nonexistent.