The LW/MIRI/CFAR memeplex shares some important features with postmodernism, namely the strong tendency to go meta, a large amount of jargon that is often impenetrable to outsiders and the lack of an immediate need to justify itself to them.
Mathematics also has all of these. So I don’t think this is a good argument that LW/MIRI/CFAR is doing something wrong.
Based on the paragraphs quoted above, having to use our ideas to produce something that outsiders would value, or at least explain them in ways that intelligent outsiders can understand well enough to criticize would create this sort of pressure. Has anyone here tried to do either of these to a significant degree? If so, how, and how successfully?
CFAR workshops? Or is there an outreach treadmill—anyone who is reached becomes an insider, so outsiders still aren’t being reached?
Mathematics also has all of these. So I don’t think this is a good argument that LW/MIRI/CFAR is doing something wrong.
CFAR workshops? Or is there an outreach treadmill—anyone who is reached becomes an insider, so outsiders still aren’t being reached?