nerzhin comments on Great post on Reddit about accepting atheism - Less Wrong

14 Post author: cousin_it 30 August 2009 08:56PM

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Comment author: nerzhin 02 September 2009 03:16:34PM 1 point [-]

The wiki describes the Dark Arts as "techniques crafted to exploit human cognitive biases." Interpreted charitably, none of your three examples fall into that category as I understood it - what I had in mind was something like a sexy, shirtless Daniel Radcliffe proclaiming his atheism on a billboard. What you're describing sounds like the Light Arts tweaked for an audience of non-Bayesians, which I have no objection to.

The underlying issue is that rationality is good for everyone, even the unwashed masses. It's not just helpful for the few elite at Less Wrong who have "the capacity to understand relativity, evolution, economics, and the importance of science." Of course you tailor your message to the audience, but that can be done without exploiting cognitive biases.