There have been many historical examples that look like changes in terminal values. For example, George Wallace appears to have changed positions on racism in government (going from pro to anti).
As you yourself note, the US Civil Rights movement appears to have successfully changed the US society’s terminal values. Although I’m not sure “getting offended” is an accurate paraphrase of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference’s strategy or tactics.
I don’t believe those were terminal values. If someone changes their position from pro-segregation to anti-segregation, I would expect that in their previous model, segregation seemed better, but later they updated their model, and under the new model, segregation seemed worse. Better and worse in making everyone happy, for example.
Some people sincerely believed that segregation brings better results for everyone. Whether they were right or wrong, segregation was just a means of achieving some other value.
I agree with what Villiam_Bur said. I think our terminal values are more along the lines of “seek pleasure, avoid pain”, with the possible addition of ”...for myself as well as my descendants”. Issues like racism matter to people because, in the long run (and from a very general perspective), they cause pain, or inhibit pleasure.
I think our terminal values are more along the lines of “seek pleasure, avoid pain”, with the possible addition of ”...for myself as well as my descendants”.
My first thought here was, “No, we don’t know what our terminal values are yet” and to nitpick the particular ones you proposed.
Then I realized: “Terminal values” are an idea in a mathematical theory. They’re not things out in the world. They’re a data object in a model that is a deliberate simplification of behavior for the purpose of highlighting particular features of it. “Terminal values” exist in the map, next to Homo economicus and markets in equilibrium — not out here in the territory where there’s mud on our boots.
Nobody does something because of a terminal value. Rather, people do things, and some folks (very few) explain those doings in terms of terminal values. Others explain them in terms of dramaturgy) or other maps, each of which highlights different things.
Moreover, if we expand the mathematical map to the level needed to encompass something as complicated as people … well, the sorts of things that people think of and say, “These could be human terminal values!” are usually not even the sorts of things that we should expect could be human terminal values. The difference is as big as the difference between the syntax accepted by a text adventure game’s command parser and the syntax understood by a natural language speaker.
There have been many historical examples that look like changes in terminal values. For example, George Wallace appears to have changed positions on racism in government (going from pro to anti).
As you yourself note, the US Civil Rights movement appears to have successfully changed the US society’s terminal values. Although I’m not sure “getting offended” is an accurate paraphrase of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference’s strategy or tactics.
I don’t believe those were terminal values. If someone changes their position from pro-segregation to anti-segregation, I would expect that in their previous model, segregation seemed better, but later they updated their model, and under the new model, segregation seemed worse. Better and worse in making everyone happy, for example.
Some people sincerely believed that segregation brings better results for everyone. Whether they were right or wrong, segregation was just a means of achieving some other value.
EDIT: I think we should be careful about assuming that our opponents have different terminal values. More likely, they have a different model of reality.
I agree with what Villiam_Bur said. I think our terminal values are more along the lines of “seek pleasure, avoid pain”, with the possible addition of ”...for myself as well as my descendants”. Issues like racism matter to people because, in the long run (and from a very general perspective), they cause pain, or inhibit pleasure.
My first thought here was, “No, we don’t know what our terminal values are yet” and to nitpick the particular ones you proposed.
Then I realized: “Terminal values” are an idea in a mathematical theory. They’re not things out in the world. They’re a data object in a model that is a deliberate simplification of behavior for the purpose of highlighting particular features of it. “Terminal values” exist in the map, next to Homo economicus and markets in equilibrium — not out here in the territory where there’s mud on our boots.
Nobody does something because of a terminal value. Rather, people do things, and some folks (very few) explain those doings in terms of terminal values. Others explain them in terms of dramaturgy) or other maps, each of which highlights different things.
Moreover, if we expand the mathematical map to the level needed to encompass something as complicated as people … well, the sorts of things that people think of and say, “These could be human terminal values!” are usually not even the sorts of things that we should expect could be human terminal values. The difference is as big as the difference between the syntax accepted by a text adventure game’s command parser and the syntax understood by a natural language speaker.