Eugine_Nier comments on 2013 Survey Results - Less Wrong

74 Post author: Yvain 19 January 2014 02:51AM

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Comment author: ChristianKl 29 January 2014 08:24:18PM 3 points [-]

-My school gym teacher once tried to tell me that there is literally no difference between boys and girls except for what's between their legs. I have heard similar claims from gender studies classes. That counts as obviously false, surely?

It's wrong on a biological level. From my physiology lecture: Woman blink twice as much as men. The have less water in their bodies.

-People should be allowed to do in their bedroom whatever they want as long as it doesn't harm anyone. Is this contentious? It shouldn't be.

So you are claiming either: "Children are no people" or "Pedophilia should be legal". I don't think any of those claims has societal approval let alone is a clear-cut issue.

But even if you switch the statement to the standard: "Consenting adults should be allowed to do in their bedroom whatever they want as long as it doesn't harm anyone" The phrases consenting (can someone with >1.0 promille alcohol consent?) and harm (emotional harm exists and not going tested for STD's and having unprotected sex has the potential to harm) are open to debate.

-A guy in college tried to convince me that literally any child could be raised to be Mozart. More generally, the whole "blank slate" notion where people claim that genes don't matter at all.

The maximal effect of a strong cognitive intervention might very will bring the average person to Mozart levels. We know relatively little about doing strong intervention to improve human mental performance.

But genes to matter.

-Women should be allowed to apply for the same jobs as men. Surely even people who think that women are less intelligent than men on average should agree with this?

It depends on what roles. If a movie producer casts actors for a specific role, gender usually matters a big deal.

A bit more controversial but I think there are cases where it's useful for men to come together in an environment where they don't have to signal stuff to females.

Comment author: Eugine_Nier 30 January 2014 06:11:51AM 0 points [-]

So you are claiming either: "Children are no people" or "Pedophilia should be legal". I don't think any of those claims has societal approval let alone is a clear-cut issue.

Well, I suppose Sophronius could argue that pedophilia should be legal, after all many things (especially related to sex) that were once socially unacceptable are now considered normal.

Comment author: ChristianKl 30 January 2014 12:53:03PM 2 points [-]

I suppose Sophronius could argue that pedophilia should be legal

Even if he thinks that it should be legal, it's no position where it's likely that everyone will agree. Sophronius wanted to find examples where everyone can agree.

Comment author: Eugine_Nier 31 January 2014 02:45:49AM -2 points [-]

No, he was listing political, i.e., controversial, questions with clear cut answers. I don't know what Sophronius considers clear cut.

Comment author: ChristianKl 31 January 2014 10:38:18AM 2 points [-]

I don't know

Really? Gives his history I think the answer is pretty clear that he's not the kind of person who's out to argue that legalizing pedophila is a clear cut issue.

He also said something about wanting to avoid the kind of controversy that causes downvoting.