Mass_Driver comments on Mechanics without wrenches - Less Wrong

33 Post author: PhilGoetz 15 April 2009 08:09PM

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Comment author: RobinHanson 15 April 2009 11:42:02PM 12 points [-]

I doubt understanding differential equations would help Congressfolk make better decisions. It is the economic concepts that would be useful for them, not so much the math.

Also, our basic ideology of democracy says that ordinary people can make wise decisions about policy without expert knowledge. So it is hard for voters to say politicians are unqualified without such knowledge without admitting that voters are also unqualified.

Comment author: ciphergoth 16 April 2009 07:44:59AM 1 point [-]

our basic ideology of democracy says that ordinary people can make wise decisions about policy without expert knowledge

I think it should be at least possible to have an ideology of democracy that didn't depend on this supposition; it should be enough to be able to know whose expert knowledge to trust in evaluating policy.