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Nisan comments on On Leverage Research's plan for an optimal world - Less Wrong Discussion

25 Post author: Mitchell_Porter 10 January 2012 09:49AM

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Comment author: Nisan 10 January 2012 09:22:47PM 8 points [-]

Most positions of power are already occupied by people who have common sense, good will, and a sense of responsibility

Really? I'm sure powerful people have common sense, and I'm sure they have the ordinary good will towards their friends and responsibility for their allies. But I doubt they have the extraordinary good will and responsibility needed to do the right thing. Maybe you believe that such qualities are unrealistic because of "human frailty".

I think your second criticism is solid:

The idea that a magic new theory of psychology will unlock human potential and create a new political majority of model citizens is a secular messianism with nothing to back it up.

Comment author: Emile 10 January 2012 09:35:46PM 5 points [-]

I'm sure powerful people have common sense, and I'm sure they have the ordinary good will towards their friends and responsibility for their allies. But I doubt they have the extraordinary good will and responsibility needed to do the right thing.

Well, yeah, but the same could be said of Leverage Research.

Comment author: Mitchell_Porter 11 January 2012 01:33:21AM 1 point [-]

the extraordinary good will and responsibility needed to do the right thing

What are you referring to?

Comment author: Nisan 11 January 2012 03:16:19AM 4 points [-]

I believe that (1) many powerful people do wicked and irresponsible things, and many more do wicked and irresponsible things by failing to act; and (2) they do so not by ignorance; and (3) if they are to do unwicked and responsible things, they would need a certain sense of right and wrong, and a certain ability to act on that sense. I can be more specific if you like.

Now that I write this, it occurs to me that although it seems like most powerful people do wicked things, there might be a selection effect going on, and I might be surprised by the proportion of powerful people doing good.

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