CharlesR comments on Reflections on rationality a year out - Less Wrong

90 [deleted] 31 March 2011 01:35AM

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Comment author: ohwilleke 31 March 2011 02:28:27AM 0 points [-]

FWIW, I am inclined to think that "rationality" is a bad brand identification for a good thing. Rationality conjures up "Spock" (the Star Trek character) not "Spock" (the compassionate and wise child rearing guru). It puts an emphasis on a very inhuman part of the kind of human being you feel you are becoming.

Whatever it means in your context, as a brand to evangelize to others about its benefits, it is lacking. Better, in the sense of offering a positive vision, perhaps than "atheism" or "secularism" but not still not grounded and humane enough. I like "naturalist" better, although it is loaded with the connotation of bird watching, and also "humanist" although the term, without the modifier "secular" can mean little more than someone who gives a damn. "Enlightened" (as in the Enlightenment era) might be a good term if it weren't so damned arrogant in the modern vernacular.

The sense that I think you are trying to capture of something of the sense conveyed by the title to Carl Sagan's book "Demon Haunted World." You want to convey the joys of having exorcised the demons and opening yourself to seeing the world more clearly. But, to sell it to others, I think it is necessary to find a better marketing plan.

Comment author: CharlesR 31 March 2011 03:43:52AM *  3 points [-]

I think Sam Harris gets it mostly right.

I think that “atheist” is a term that we do not need, in the same way that we don’t need a word for someone who rejects astrology. We simply do not call people “non-astrologers.” All we need are words like “reason” and “evidence” and “common sense” and “bullshit” to put astrologers in their place, and so it could be with religion.

Comment author: CronoDAS 01 April 2011 07:34:38PM 7 points [-]

I'd like to bring up a comparison with a similar term that isn't used much any more: "abolitionist". It's very rare to find anyone these days who wouldn't agree with those in the pre-Civil War United States who called themselves abolitionists. We don't need the term today, but we did need it back then...

Comment author: ohwilleke 31 March 2011 09:23:57PM 0 points [-]

"Reason" and "evidence based" are both quite nice words to convey the idea.

Comment author: bekkerd 31 March 2011 08:00:23AM 0 points [-]

Thanks for this. That talk was an informative read.