Aligning Superintelligent Humans — LessWrong
Last post was an example of how intelligence-correlated tools can stabilize reflection. Here I'll discuss how native-cyborgism attenuates the hard pa…
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A short article on "quantum collapse" (4 pages)
I received an email requesting that I introduce myself. Although I did not study physics, I have a pretty strong background in the philosophy of science...
The Three Ways to Make a Living
Well, this is kinda depressing, courtesy of Jason Zweig’s father: There are three ways to make a living:1) Lie to people who want to be lied to, and you
Society Explained: a tool for efficiently exploring >100 theories of society — LessWrong
There are many competing theories of how society does and should function, from Karl Marx and Adam Smith to Steven Pinker and Eliezer Yudkowsky. Thes…
AI revolution boosts work for philosophers
As AI becomes more powerful, ensuring it has values commensurate with those of humanity becomes more important.
[2606.03384] Evolution as a Process of Causal Inference
Abstract page for arXiv paper 2606.03384: Evolution as a Process of Causal Inference
Quote of the Day by Rollo May: “This is me and the world be damned” — life lessons on individuality and authenticity
Rollo May’s famous quote on standing against cultural pressure continues to resonate, offering lessons on authenticity, moral courage and the importance of re...
The Ordinary Miracle of Existing
Being alive at all is the most extraordinary stroke of good luck any of us will ever experience.
Cave of Forgotten Dreams
Cave of Forgotten Dreams Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I ...
The Origin of Uncertainty — LessWrong
When people ask what Fundamental Uncertainty is about, I usually say it’s a book about epistemology. If they want to know more, I say it’s a book arg…
The Philosophy of Happiness
Can philosophy teach us how to have a happy life?. Explore this storyboard about Ancient Philosophy by TheCollector on Flipboard.
Agent Foundations Reminds Me of Continental Philosophy — LessWrong
> Nevertheless, I shall take advantage of your kindness in assuming we agree that a science cannot be conditioned upon empiricism. > > — Jacques Lac…
Cerebral Disconnect
Cerebral contents pale in complexity and significance within the greater ecological universe. Why are worldviews so drastically different? Why is it that obvio...
Popperians, Bayesians and Ramseyians — LessWrong
Bayesians and Popperians disagree about induction, probability, and the status of scientific laws. That dispute is well-trodden. Less familiar is a t…
We Can’t Reason Our Way to Morality
A discussion of our standards of morality which are deeper than our formal conscious reasoning; they may be reflected in our actions.
Thought of the day from Stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius: "Each of us lives only now, this brief instant. The rest has been lived already, or is impossible to see."
The kettle is doing its thing. Light is coming in sideways across the kichen table, the way it does early, catching the steam coming off the cup. Outside there?...
Quote of the Day by Simone de Beauvoir: One’s life has value so long as one values others
Simone de Beauvoir’s quote “One’s life has value so long as one attributes value to the life of others” is a timeless lesson on empathy, love, friendshi...
“This Hypothetical is Unrealistic” is not a Valid Objection — LessWrong
Whenever a discussion touches ethics, philosophy, or relates to guiding principles, hypotheticals become useful. We cannot investigate every idea wit…
Is There a Solution to the Problem of Moral Luck? · Flipso
A philosophical look at moral luck, arguing that luck can distort blame and praise, and that a be...
Poets, philosophers, parklands and parliament
The world could be different if we were governed by a different breed of humans who understood that politics require morals and imagination.
Individual Rights are Not Negotiable
It's wise to have boundaries. What's a personal boundary? It's a non-negotiable. It's what you refuse to permit or participate in, as a recognition that
Fundamental Uncertainty: Alternate Framework and Pointwise Reduction — LessWrong
In this review of Gordon Seidoh Worley's book, Fundamental Uncertainty, I would like to explain why its main thesis is only partially rational. …
Want to ‘Optimize’ Your Happiness? This Happiness Expert Says: Don’t.
To understand the architecture of joy, we must first travel back to the sun-drenched stone agoras of ancient Greece, where thinkers first began categorizing
Thought of the day from Stoic philosopher Seneca: "We suffer more often in imagination than in reality."
A few years back I got into Stoicism, the way a lot of people do: a bit lost, looking for something that felt less like self-help and more like clear thinking. ...
What If We Will Stop Destroying People Because Medicine Is Not Ready Yet? — LessWrong
> Yesterday the death was reclassified. In the morning, she signed the consent form to preserve her husband. > > The doctor signed a line "No return…
We May Be Entering A Second Axial Age
The transition from small hunter-gatherer societies into complex civilizations gave rise to the first Axial Age. Today, the planetary polycrisis of climate chao...
Elber-Dorozko and Gouvêa: Ambiguity in the Concept of Representation — The Brains Blog
‘Neuronal representation’ is not a defective concept: Ambiguity as a sign of science in progress Lotem Elber-Dorozko and Devin Gouvêa The term “neural re...