Soon after my divorce in 2009 and before I ever learned about rationality, critical thinking, cognitive biases, or fallacies, I wrote this letter to my kids.
They were 13, 11, and 10, I didn't expect them to understand it then, but my idea was for them to have it as a record of how I saw the world. My concern was that without me nearby they would be too conditioned by what I now know are cognitive biases and the "dark arts" in general.
***
Introduction
In recent years, for various reasons, and in my spare time, I have begun a process of exploring the origin of things. My goal has been to try to understand, at least roughly, the different ways in which things happen, their existence, where they come from, and where they are headed.
While this seems ambitious, my search has been very simple and general and I have only tried to understand the basics. I’m not a researcher, a scientist, a theologian, or an academic.
Personally, this process has helped me form an opinion about some issues I consider important.
The sources of information were mainly books, articles in specialized and non-specialized magazines, newspapers, the internet, informal conversations with colleagues and friends, and my personal analysis from observations of everyday life.
My intention here is to write the sum of my thoughts which together I call “My Philosophy” because in fact that is what they are, just thoughts. I’m simply drawing conclusions as I analyze information and I make my comments without trying to check them or prove them. Like I wrote above, they are nothing more than my personal thoughts.
It is known that humanity has very limited knowledge in many aspects. At the same time, I also think that as we go learning and better understanding the origin and true causes of things we, as individuals and humankind in general, may become more effective in managing our existence.
My most important goal is for my children to understand my thoughts and how I see things. Although surely they will choose their own paths, at least this analysis has been helpful for me! Most importantly the point is for them to have a critical way of reasoning things and to challenge, from time to time, general knowledge.
As this is only "My Philosophy” I do not think that what I write here is necessarily permanent or not debatable or not amendable by better analysis and new information. On the contrary, I write this to be questioned and debated. The exercise of debating and disagreeing is actually enriching.
My Philosophy:
I think that God does not exist as imagined by us on earth. I believe that the origin of the universe is something physical like the big bang.
This does not necessarily deny the existence of God in fact science may, in the end, prove that God exists! So I think that science and religion are complementary and not opposed philosophies.
I think the soul and body are not two separate things.
I think we are temporary as individuals and that our life does not continue after death.
I do believe that life continues after death through our descendants even if they are not our own biological children.
Eventually our lives will continue in the species that descend from ours and we are descendants of earlier species that existed before us.
Thus, life itself could be considered eternal, but individual beings are different, they are finite.
I think we are a product of evolution, we are not chosen. As a species, like others, we have only developed special strategies, tactics, and tools that, for now, have enabled us to continue living.
Paradoxically permanent dissatisfaction (unhappiness) is a critical element of our successful strategy for survival as a species. Therefore, humankind will continually be seeking happiness, but never find it.
Just as unhappiness is part of our successful strategy for survival, the desire to make sense of things is also a key feature of our strategy.
For this we invented religion and science. However things do not necessarily make sense which is why we may never find some of the answers we seek.
I think that our individual benefit and happiness, even if it seems so consciously, is not our real end, it is only a means. Our real goal is to create and support our descendants even if they are not our own biological children.
To be selfish is to be altruistic and to be altruistic is to be selfish. This is not a contradiction, it is a loop.
We have different roles as individuals, as family members, as members of a community, as citizens of a nation and as part of humanity. Our priorities are different on each level.
The role of individual is the lowest hierarchy and to be a part of humanity is the highest. This order is regarded as useless if they do not complement each other. When there is no complementarity the result in human society is chaos.
All human organizational models are flexible and temporary, and are useful as part of an effective survival strategy for the species. Other species are organized differently. The fixed dogmas tend to lose functionality over time.
Institutions are part of our current organizational system. These must be flexible and changeable, but only in the long term, and through organized and predictable processes.
I think we are born with natural abilities to be individuals, but we need education to be effective members of a family, community, nation, and humanity.
I think the key to an effective individual is the conjunction of his principles and values, formal education, and personality. these things separated are not effective.
I believe that to effectively educate our children we must first teach them family values (both primary family and extended family), then community values, national values, and humanity values.
In parallel I think that we need to teach them general aspects of our species´ knowledge, both religious and scientific.
Aspects of knowledge of our species:
Origin of the universe
Physics
Chemistry
The origin of life
Biology
The theory of evolution and the origin of species
The ramifications of knowledge of our species:
Philosophy
Religion
Mathematics
Art
Sociology
Politics
Economics
Other sciences, etc.
Basic principles and values:
Each of us is unique in the universe. No one other than oneself is oneself. Everyone is the son of his father and mother, and the brother of his brothers. It is impossible for a person to replace another.
If this is so, then all members of humanity are unique and irreplaceable. Including those alive today, those that existed in the past, and those to come in the future.
This is regardless of race, creed, age, sex, convictions, physical appearance, health status, marital status, nationality, or any other human characteristic.
If all individuals of humanity are unique and irreplaceable then we are all equal in one thing: That we are unique!! Therefore, we all have the same rights and obligations towards each other within humankind.
If we all have the same rights and obligations to all other individuals in humanity then we are all equal before God, nature, the law, and all human institutions.
This respects the principle that we are unique and that we are all different.
Each individual has a natural preference to carry out his life freely.
However, this must be without undermining the rights of others.
Individual values:
Love and take care of oneself.
Love and take care of one´s family.
Love and take care of one´s community.
Love and take care of one´s nation.
Love and take care of humanity.
Family values:
The most important people in our lives as individuals are our family members (siblings, parents, cousins, spouses, etc.)
We must always put our relationship with them over any other minor thing such as pride, fighting, money, betrayal , etc. For any eventuality we should always be able to count on our family. Family is unconditional.
Community values:
After our family, our friends are the most important thing for us as individuals.
Also, members of our community who are not our friends are very important and we must always have a positive and respectful attitude towards them.
Directly or indirectly, all members of the community have an impact on each one of us.
National values:
The sum of individuals, families, and communities that make up a nation must respect the national organization over all other lower forms of organization.
When a conflict arises between a lesser form of organization and a higher form, the higher form should be prioritized.
This in fact ensures the protection and development of minor forms of organization. If not it means that the system is not working properly and there is a need for reform of the organizational arrangements, but always within the processes prescribed by the same system.
Humanity values:
Today, at the level of nations there is no organization or institution that has been established effectively.
“The Law Of The Jungle” is still “the system”.
***
Now they are 19, 17, and 16. Yesterday I spoke to them on Skype and asked them if they remember the letter, they said yes, but it still isn't much of a huge interest for them yet!
I am sure I'm going to encourage them to join LessWrong.com in the future!
Soon after my divorce in 2009 and before I ever learned about rationality, critical thinking, cognitive biases, or fallacies, I wrote this letter to my kids.
They were 13, 11, and 10, I didn't expect them to understand it then, but my idea was for them to have it as a record of how I saw the world. My concern was that without me nearby they would be too conditioned by what I now know are cognitive biases and the "dark arts" in general.
***
Introduction
In recent years, for various reasons, and in my spare time, I have begun a process of exploring the origin of things. My goal has been to try to understand, at least roughly, the different ways in which things happen, their existence, where they come from, and where they are headed.
While this seems ambitious, my search has been very simple and general and I have only tried to understand the basics. I’m not a researcher, a scientist, a theologian, or an academic.
Personally, this process has helped me form an opinion about some issues I consider important.
The sources of information were mainly books, articles in specialized and non-specialized magazines, newspapers, the internet, informal conversations with colleagues and friends, and my personal analysis from observations of everyday life.
My intention here is to write the sum of my thoughts which together I call “My Philosophy” because in fact that is what they are, just thoughts. I’m simply drawing conclusions as I analyze information and I make my comments without trying to check them or prove them. Like I wrote above, they are nothing more than my personal thoughts.
It is known that humanity has very limited knowledge in many aspects. At the same time, I also think that as we go learning and better understanding the origin and true causes of things we, as individuals and humankind in general, may become more effective in managing our existence.
My most important goal is for my children to understand my thoughts and how I see things. Although surely they will choose their own paths, at least this analysis has been helpful for me! Most importantly the point is for them to have a critical way of reasoning things and to challenge, from time to time, general knowledge.
As this is only "My Philosophy” I do not think that what I write here is necessarily permanent or not debatable or not amendable by better analysis and new information. On the contrary, I write this to be questioned and debated. The exercise of debating and disagreeing is actually enriching.
My Philosophy: