Peterdjones comments on Tell Your Rationalist Origin Story - Less Wrong

30 Post author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 25 February 2009 05:16PM

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Comment author: mayonesa 18 August 2010 08:55:53PM 2 points [-]

When I was a child, I read the classics of literature and philosophy and quickly became a realist.

I don't say I'm a rationalist because rationalism implies a universal quality to human judgment, when empirical evidence convinces me no such thing exists.

Since then, I've left behind liberalism (pure emotion, defensiveness) and become a conservative realist, monarchist, conservationist and idealist (in the Kant/Schopenhauer sense).

Comment author: Peterdjones 10 September 2012 12:50:43PM -2 points [-]

Monarchist? There's a rational justification for Monarchy? Tom Paine must be doing 1000rpm!

Comment author: ErikM 10 September 2012 01:28:58PM 5 points [-]

Here's one: less jockeying for power. Monarchs don't need to pander to interest groups to get elected.

Comment author: wedrifid 10 September 2012 01:55:53PM 7 points [-]

Monarchs don't need to pander to interest groups to get elected.

Merely to keep their heads attached.

Comment author: Peterdjones 10 September 2012 01:44:25PM 3 points [-]

I'll. say. They don't need to take anyone else's interests into account. It would take a rather special kind of mind to treat self-interest as admirable detachment.