#1 Introducing Critical Rationalism News
November Edition of Critical Rationalism News. Introduction to Critical Rationalism, On having a Culture of Criticism, and Peter Thiel on AGI Risks and Progress.
Critical rationalism explains what knowledge is and how it grows.
The consequences resulting from the depth and soundness of this philosophy are huge. From politics to education, from how to do science to how to be happy — this worldview touches it all.
Many who have encountered CR concepts have had their lives forever transformed. The ways that they evaluate ideas have been permanently changed for the better.
There has also been a rise in the number of people becoming aware of these important ideas and a growth in rational optimism, thanks to certain popularizers.
There have been countless discussions on Twitter about topics that CR touches on. This newsletter is largely inspired by these discussions.
“People who converge upon the truth converge with each other.”
— David Deutsch, The Beginning of Infinity
This monthly newsletter will deliver news in the critical rationalist world, as well as interesting content about which CR has something to say.
Critical Finds
1. The Unconstrained Vision of David Deutsch. Deutsch’s synthesis of the constrained and unconstrained visions of Thomas Sowell.
2. “Nick Bostrom, he's an Oxford academic... most of these people are interesting because they have nothing to say. They're just mouthpieces, it's like the mouth of Sauron... they're useful because they tell us where the zeitgeist is.” — Peter Thiel on a lack of progress being far more dangerous than actual progress.
3. A simple point about existential risk (and the irony of Future Fund) by Tyler Cowen.
4. Should we burn more fossil fuels, not less? Fossil fuels helped create the modern world but can we presume prior results guarantee future outcomes? Critique of a particular defense of oil, gas, and coal.
5. Criticism of our current theories is the only way to improve. Moritz Wallawitsch on the moral significance of a culture of criticism.
6. Logan Chipkin is organizing The Rat Fest, the second annual Critical Rationalist meet-up/conference.
7. The total human population crossed 8 billion last month (woohoo!) Tom Hyde explains why the universe is (still) underpopulated.
From the Archives
1. “... besides what the laws of physics mandate we cannot do, only our imaginations bound what we will make possible.” — Origins by Brett Hall
2. Criticism isn’t purely a good thing. Lulie Tanett wrote about why you should rationally schedule criticism.
Written by Arjun Khemani.
Edited by Logan Chipkin, with suggestions by Moritz Wallawitsch and Aaron Stupple.
Great initiative!! Keep going!!
Only to the extent that people live according to the command of reason, do they necessarily agree in nature.
~ Spinoza Ethics.