Thanks, I tried to explain above. Less Wrong’s conclusion on analyzing politics is flawed because it is based on the assumption that rationality with respect to politics requires an ideal answer. Pointing out that biases/emotions/etc. are ever present is used to protect the idea that rationality in its purest form always results in a normative answer. “Our model of rationality is always correct—its just the people are flawed!!!”—I disagree. The model is wrong. The people are playing their role as members of a social dynamic—rationality in politics is dependent on their biases, not to be avoided because of them.
The value is awareness—that is the true goal. To have an understanding of what is going on around you without confusion, anger, unwanted emotions. Rationality is about seeing the world “as it is.” The world is social, and I want an understanding of how the world works, with its participants and their various viewpoints, perspectives, beliefs, and actions. I’m not trying to be “right”—frankly i have political positions but don’t really care—they are a secondary concern to understanding the social dynamic.
what is your focus, i.e. what would be the ideal goal that you are saying is difficult or impossible to achieve and so it is rational to avoid -- what goal do you find elusive here—personal understanding of the correct “answer” in spite of biases, “raising the sanity waterline” as someone mentioned above, or something else?
Both these items suggest a need for an definitive answer to political questions and I’m not sure that is the correct focus.
If applying rational thought to politics has a track record of failure and we agree politics is a part of everyone’s reality, do you think rational thought cannot explain politics and is an inherent shortcoming of the theory? (this is other way of saying we should move on to things). We talk about rationality like its the way to live life. its troubling that it cannot answer or explain political issues, which shape our government, laws and community. The value of the a theory should partially be tested based on issues and questions it cannot answer. If there are things rational thinking cannot solve, that is an issue/problem with rational theory, not the particular subject matter.