Good point about the cynicism. Can you think of a way I could’ve said it that wouldn’t have signaled that? I find it problematic to express “Luke’s cheering strikes me as weird, or at least way too premature, given what bad shape the world is in” without it sounding cynical.
I also don’t object to Luke’s intention, namely to write some propaganda that progress is possible, but his specific examples (killing half the male population, questionable (and very costly) abolishment of slavery, even worse anti-religion sentiments, premature cheering for rationality feats that haven’t proven their worth yet) don’t support it and so I think the post is manipulative, though probably not maliciously so.
I agree with taw that if he had simply made a point that demographic changes can bring rapid behavioral changes and stuck to the baboons, it would have been a much better article.
Good point about the cynicism. Can you think of a way I could’ve said it that wouldn’t have signaled that? I find it problematic to express “Luke’s cheering strikes me as weird, or at least way too premature, given what bad shape the world is in” without it sounding cynical.
I also don’t object to Luke’s intention, namely to write some propaganda that progress is possible, but his specific examples (killing half the male population, questionable (and very costly) abolishment of slavery, even worse anti-religion sentiments, premature cheering for rationality feats that haven’t proven their worth yet) don’t support it and so I think the post is manipulative, though probably not maliciously so.
I agree with taw that if he had simply made a point that demographic changes can bring rapid behavioral changes and stuck to the baboons, it would have been a much better article.