If Lesswrong caused people to be more likely to think that it is more moral to donate money to effective charity than to have children (which you did not say), then that would lower my opinion of Lesswrong significantly.
No, and I did not say that. However, I have priors about what the correct answer is and priors about what causes people to believe certain false answers. My opinion of the rationality of members of the Flat Earth Society is not very high, even though I have not explored their arguments in depth and even though I realize they probably know arguments in favor of the round earth hypothesis better than I do.
In a discussion of arguments about morality, why are you not at least looking at the arguments? Or if you have looked at them, could you say why you disagree instead of just falling back your priors?
If we were discussing the reasons “that having children is less moral than donating the equivalent number of funds to effective charity under the average Lesswrong-user morality,” then I would look at those arguments, but we are not discussing that. The original post is only one argument, a weak one, and that is the one being discussed here.
I was merely mentioning my priors. At the very least, Lesswrongers should be aware that what seems obvious to them might seem highly implausible to others. No arguments were offered for the position that “having children is less moral than donating the equivalent number of funds to effective charity,” only the claim that the average Lesswrong-user believes this. It is that statement that I was addressing.
I think it’s pretty clear that LessWrong both disproportionately attracts people who tend to believe that and that those people mutually reinforce that belief.
If Lesswrong caused people to be more likely to think that it is more moral to donate money to effective charity than to have children (which you did not say), then that would lower my opinion of Lesswrong significantly.
Regardless of the actual arguments? That would lower my opinion of your opinions significantly.
No, and I did not say that. However, I have priors about what the correct answer is and priors about what causes people to believe certain false answers. My opinion of the rationality of members of the Flat Earth Society is not very high, even though I have not explored their arguments in depth and even though I realize they probably know arguments in favor of the round earth hypothesis better than I do.
In a discussion of arguments about morality, why are you not at least looking at the arguments? Or if you have looked at them, could you say why you disagree instead of just falling back your priors?
If we were discussing the reasons “that having children is less moral than donating the equivalent number of funds to effective charity under the average Lesswrong-user morality,” then I would look at those arguments, but we are not discussing that. The original post is only one argument, a weak one, and that is the one being discussed here.
I was merely mentioning my priors. At the very least, Lesswrongers should be aware that what seems obvious to them might seem highly implausible to others. No arguments were offered for the position that “having children is less moral than donating the equivalent number of funds to effective charity,” only the claim that the average Lesswrong-user believes this. It is that statement that I was addressing.
That’s kind of the whole point of Rachels’ paper.
If?
I think it’s pretty clear that LessWrong both disproportionately attracts people who tend to believe that and that those people mutually reinforce that belief.
I wold appreciate it if anyone could point me to material about this subject that has been influential to LessWrong users.