hairyfigment comments on Rationality Quotes August 2014 - Less Wrong

8 Post author: RolfAndreassen 04 August 2014 03:12AM

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Comment author: hairyfigment 06 August 2014 05:36:58PM *  -1 points [-]

There is, to the [Slytherin adept], only one reality governing everything from quarks to galaxies. Humans have no special place within it. Any idea predicated on the special status of the human — such as justice, fairness, equality, talent — is raw material for a theater of mediated realities that can be created via subtraction of conflicting evidence, polishing and masking.

Comment author: Stabilizer 06 August 2014 06:55:12PM *  5 points [-]

While I find Venkatesh Rao to be insightful, his writing can be quite frustrating. He seems to be allergic towards speaking plainly. Here is a possible re-write of the above quote:

Slytherin-adepts use human ideals -- like justice, fairness, equality, talent -- to deceive people. They employ these ideals in rhetoric, often to turn attention away from conflicting evidence.

Comment author: Qwake 06 August 2014 08:00:15PM 1 point [-]

The impression I got is more that Slytherin adepts believe that human ideals such as justice, fairness, equality, and talent distort reality because they rely on the assumption that humans hold a special place in the universe which Slytherin adepts believe not to be true.

Comment author: hairyfigment 06 August 2014 08:41:08PM 0 points [-]

Yes to both this and the grandparent - though in principle, a Slytherin might try to produce an environment where those ideals make sense, out of personal preference.

Comment author: hairyfigment 06 August 2014 08:51:34PM 0 points [-]

Actually, in addition to the sibling comment, I should point out that "rhetoric" implies people claiming all the time that they're serving justice or what have you. Mostly (as I understand the quote) they just need to hide contrary evidence from view. Provide a distraction, and people will continue to believe their existing ideals determine reality.

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