I guess when I look over the comments, the problem with the phraseology is that people seem to inevitably begin debating over whether rationalists win and asking how much they win—the properties of a fixed sort of creature, the “rationalist”—rather than saying, “What wins systematically? Let us define rationality accordingly.”
Not sure what sort of catchphrase would solve this.
Yes. Rationalism shouldn’t be see as a bag of discrete tricks, but rather, as the means for achieving any given end—what it takes to do something you want to do. The particulars will vary, of course, depending on the end in question, but the rational individual should do better at figuring them out.
On a side note, I’m not sure coming up with better slogans, catchphrases, and neologisms is the right thing to be aiming for.
Well, that’s wrong, but thinking about why it’s wrong leads me to realize that maybe “Rationality should win” would have been a better move.
But I did also want to convey the idea that aspiring to be a rationalist means aspiring to be stronger, something more formidable than a debating style… well, I guess “rationality should win” conveys a bit of that too.
I guess when I look over the comments, the problem with the phraseology is that people seem to inevitably begin debating over whether rationalists win and asking how much they win—the properties of a fixed sort of creature, the “rationalist”—rather than saying, “What wins systematically? Let us define rationality accordingly.”
Not sure what sort of catchphrase would solve this.
Yes. Rationalism shouldn’t be see as a bag of discrete tricks, but rather, as the means for achieving any given end—what it takes to do something you want to do. The particulars will vary, of course, depending on the end in question, but the rational individual should do better at figuring them out.
On a side note, I’m not sure coming up with better slogans, catchphrases, and neologisms is the right thing to be aiming for.
Do not underestimate the power of poetry.
Yes, but power to do what? Sometimes poetry conveys ideas and associations, sometimes it just annoys people.
‘Whatever wins is rational’?
‘Winners are rational’?
‘Rationality is winning’?
Hm. Sloganeering is harder than it looks.
It runs into problems elsewhere, but what about “Rationalism should win” ?
Well, that’s wrong, but thinking about why it’s wrong leads me to realize that maybe “Rationality should win” would have been a better move.
But I did also want to convey the idea that aspiring to be a rationalist means aspiring to be stronger, something more formidable than a debating style… well, I guess “rationality should win” conveys a bit of that too.