Ernest Worthing @ejworthing@octodon.social

Really interesting post about the economic causes of racial inequality in the U.S. Key point: discriminatory mid-20th century policies on mortgage lending have had long-term effects on wealth accumulation.

https://robertpaulwolff.blogspot.com/2018/01/another-golden-oldie.html

New Year's resolutions:

1. I will always count my blessings in octal.

2. I will not go down to Georgia without a golden guitar.

3. I will not declaim sestinas to innocent people without their consent.

4. I will not blame Henry II of England for anyone's personal problems.

5. I will not repeat myself.

6. I will not repeat myself.

7. If offered a choice between a red pill and a blue pill, I will floop the pig.

8. I will not make nerdy jokes.

Awoo!

So the fact that I can get others to do things for me by deceiving them does *not* give me a reason to deceive them. Intentional, self-serving deception is irrational.

Nothing about this argument for a prohibition on deception is subjective, relative, or a matter of opinion.

#moralityisobjective #kantianethics

From (5), if the pro-deception principle is sound, I can endorse others following it. I can endorse others deceiving me to get me to do things for them.

But from (3), I am committed to making decisions on the basis of truth-tracking beliefs, not useful delusions. From (1) and (2), I cannot endorse others getting me to make decisions on the basis of useful delusions.

From these five principles of reasoning, we can see that intentional, self-serving deception is irrational.

Consider whether the following is a good principle of practical reasoning: "If I can get others to do things for me by deceiving them, I have reason to deceive them."

If this is a good principle of reasoning for me, then from (4), it is a good principle for everyone. Others have reason to get me to do things for them by deceiving me.

3) There are some goals all rational agents are committed to and cannot rationally abandon. For example, all rational agents are committed to making decisions on the basis of beliefs that aim at truth (not on the basis of useful delusions).

4) Sound principles of practical reasoning are valid for all rational beings.

5) Sound principles of practical reasoning can be endorsed by all rational beings.

Here are some principles of practical reasoning that apply to all rational beings:

1) If you are committed to doing X, and the only way to achieve X is to do Y, you should either do Y or abandon your commitment to X.

2) If you are committed to doing X, and you cannot do X if Z happens, you cannot endorse Z happening while maintaining your commitment.

A lot of people claim to believe that morality is subjective, or that it is a matter of opinion. This is malarky.

There are objective truths about how people should decide what to do. These truths have the same objectivity as logic or mathematics.

"Society, therefore, as it becomes more enlightened, should be very careful not to establish bodies of men who must necessarily be made foolish or vicious by the very constitution of their profession."

-- Mary Wollstonecraft

An "easy" recipe for bringing back prosperity to America:

https://smbc-comics.com/comic/the-old-days

What do you do if you realize you have been building a tower of Babel?

1. Stop.
2. Learn other people's languages.
3. Build smaller things instead.

"Nations do behave wisely once they have exhausted all other alternatives."

-- Abba Eban

Hodiaŭ estas Zamenhofa Tago. Mi abonas la revuon nomiĝan "Monato."

Kiel vi festas?

#esperanto #ZamenhofaTago

Bitcoin bears: just like cryptokitties, only more adorable.

Zamenhofa Tago estas la dekkvinan de decembro. Kiel vi festos?

#esperanto #Zamenhof

Capitalist nursery rhymes!

https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/baa