similar reasoning applies not just to folk ethics vs. consequentialism, but also to all sorts of beliefs that may seem as outright irrational from a naive “rationalist” perspective, but whose role in practice is much more complicated and important.
Yeah, that seems to be the crux of our disagreement. You still trust people, you haven’t seen them march into death and drag their children along with them and reject a thousand warnings along the way with contempt for such absurd and evil suggestions.
I agree that going against social norms is very costly, that we need cooperation more than ever now there’s seven billion of us, and that if something is bad you still need to coordinate against it. But consider this anecdote:
Many years ago, when I was but a child, I wished to search for the best and rightest politician, and to put them in power. And eagerly did I listen to all, and carefully did I consider their arguments, and honestly did I weight them against history and the evening news. And lo, an ideology was born, and I gave it my allegiance. But still doubts nagged and arguments wavered, and I wished for closure.
One day my politician of choice called for a rally, and to the rally I went; filled with doubt, but willing to serve. And such joy came upon me that I knew I was right; this wave of bliss was the true sign that my cause was just. (For I was but a child, and did not know of laws of entanglement; I knew not human psychology told not of world states.)
Then it came to pass that I read a history textbook, and in the book was an excerpt from Robert Brasillach, who too described this joy, and who too claimed it as proof of his ideology. Which was facism. Oops.
Yeah, that seems to be the crux of our disagreement. You still trust people, you haven’t seen them march into death and drag their children along with them and reject a thousand warnings along the way with contempt for such absurd and evil suggestions.
I agree that going against social norms is very costly, that we need cooperation more than ever now there’s seven billion of us, and that if something is bad you still need to coordinate against it. But consider this anecdote:
Many years ago, when I was but a child, I wished to search for the best and rightest politician, and to put them in power. And eagerly did I listen to all, and carefully did I consider their arguments, and honestly did I weight them against history and the evening news. And lo, an ideology was born, and I gave it my allegiance. But still doubts nagged and arguments wavered, and I wished for closure.
One day my politician of choice called for a rally, and to the rally I went; filled with doubt, but willing to serve. And such joy came upon me that I knew I was right; this wave of bliss was the true sign that my cause was just. (For I was but a child, and did not know of laws of entanglement; I knew not human psychology told not of world states.)
Then it came to pass that I read a history textbook, and in the book was an excerpt from Robert Brasillach, who too described this joy, and who too claimed it as proof of his ideology. Which was facism. Oops.
So, yeah, never falling for that one again.