The “inner school / outer school” seems to me that correct solution, because:
(a) I don’t want to see the message diluted. The diluted forms are already out there—people behaving rationally only inside the laboratory; people trying to use arguments and evaluate evidence properly except when talking about religion or politics; etc.
(b) I completely agree that many people are beyond help; that is: they don’t even want to become rational, and trying to convince them otherwise is hopeless or at least not cost-effective. Let’s do the rational thing instead, whatever it is.
(c) I support the idea of “raising the sanity waterline”. We can’t make everyone sane, but we should create as much sanity as possible.
In some sense, the (b) already exists. Many people are LW readers, but only some of them are CFAR members. And while the LW readers discuss some minor details, CFAR is organizing rationality minicamps. Some people talk, some people do; and those who do, recognize each other. Rationalist communities materialize in meatspace. Even if tomorrow hordes of trolls would overcome LW, it would be only a temporary setback; and a new discussion forum would probably appear soon if enough old members would feel disappointed.
The “inner school / outer school” seems to me that correct solution, because:
(a) I don’t want to see the message diluted. The diluted forms are already out there—people behaving rationally only inside the laboratory; people trying to use arguments and evaluate evidence properly except when talking about religion or politics; etc.
(b) I completely agree that many people are beyond help; that is: they don’t even want to become rational, and trying to convince them otherwise is hopeless or at least not cost-effective. Let’s do the rational thing instead, whatever it is.
(c) I support the idea of “raising the sanity waterline”. We can’t make everyone sane, but we should create as much sanity as possible.
In some sense, the (b) already exists. Many people are LW readers, but only some of them are CFAR members. And while the LW readers discuss some minor details, CFAR is organizing rationality minicamps. Some people talk, some people do; and those who do, recognize each other. Rationalist communities materialize in meatspace. Even if tomorrow hordes of trolls would overcome LW, it would be only a temporary setback; and a new discussion forum would probably appear soon if enough old members would feel disappointed.