JoshuaZ comments on Rationality is Not an Attractive Tribe - Less Wrong

13 Post author: Alexandros 23 November 2010 02:08PM

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Comment author: JoshuaZ 23 November 2010 05:34:48PM 6 points [-]

How much of the focus on things like wells and septic tanks has been removed not due to dumbing down but due to increased specialization? I don't need to know how to make a septic tank or the like. And as technologies become more and more complicated it becomes more difficult for any person to know how all of them work in detail. Finally, having specialized individuals allows one to more efficiently use the law of comparative advantage.

Comment author: [deleted] 23 November 2010 05:43:31PM 6 points [-]

I think that may be part of an explanation; but while there are positive consequences to specialization, one of the negative consequences is that fewer people know basic science. That's probably bad for rationality.