People wonder why I have chosen to infuse philosophy so deeply in my work style and even professionally. Daniel explains the power of this better than I can, in this 10 minute video. He is one of my personal heroes. I got to meet him once, and it was one of the few times I got genuinely star struck. He was gentle, patient and kind and seemed to enjoy answering all my dumb questions.
https://x.com/bigthink/status/1781367395107357144?s=46&t=8zspgFtU1sQttMY8dBvhOQ
You’re describing an echo chamber effect. It’s why I hate echo chambers. I understand they give others a great sense of community and comfort, however. It also, tends to lead to people in these echo chambers dehumanizing people they disagree with.
Are we a fragmented society of hostile factions fighting for dominance, or do we contain and retain some collective capacity for maintaining some conception of the common good? And I note that both external and internal arguments are being made to undermine that notion. Some of you, are taken by those notions, and for that I can only express my sadness. Even I hope for your redemption and return to the project.
And I would suggest, without absolute seriousness and concern, that only the conclusion of the necessity of violence is left once you foreclose the possibility of argument. The totalitarian impulse is revealed. And the liberal like me, is trying desperately to convince people that in order for us to hang on to our freedom, we must also cradle and nurture some conception of the common good.
The problem with identity politics often isn't the social injustices they highlight. Those things are often quite obvious and hard for us to ignore. The problem is when we close off the possibility of redemption. Because if we can't see each other as redeemable, then we really have no basis for sharing a civilization. And I make this same general argument as harshly to my right as I make it to my left.
And I'll complete the thought for you: if there's no redemption possible, there's also no point in having an argument at all. And from that conclusion, nothing good comes.
Just because someone is wrong about something, doesn't make them a bad person. What matters more, when it comes to character, is if they're open to having their mind changed.
... and if you're not, in principle, open to having your mind changed, we're having a whole other conversation all together.
I would also suggest that people be preoccupied with this basic insight, because I might suggest it's actually the basis for civilization existing at all.
The thing about the stability of systems, is it has absolutely nothing to do with ossification and everything to do with adaptability. People misunderstand this to their peril. In all domains: politics, economics, and yes: bitcoin.
For extra bonus points: Try going through this process before staking out a position, at all!
How to have sane takes on things, in a few easy steps:
1. Consider what you believe.
2. Seek out the best arguments you can find that contradict what you believe, and carefully consider these arguments.
3. If you cannot figure out why these arguments are wrong, and make good logical arguments against them, reduce the credence that you’re right. Perhaps even consider changing your mind.
The end.
Addendum: If you are unaware of good arguments against your deeply held economic, political, or ethical position, this is a very intellectually suspicious state of affairs.
Was happy to speak at the Bitcoin Policy Summit in DC this morning about why I think Bitcoin is valuable. https://youtu.be/1yzuEipN-D0?si=jdY1gmagoD4xi4Zj
I have an incomplete essay on my criticisms about the Austrian school. It's not complete. I might finish it. I might not. But the core thrust of the argument is there. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1R2YqH4kTtVhoZdtFT5t8TPEsdUAKchSOU2V1U1eMC5I/edit?usp=drivesdk
I don't define it as government rental. But I do think that land is a common good.
Land taxes are the most defensible form of taxation. Fight me.
But the TLDR is that I think all radical individualism is always overly simplistic, and tends towards illiberal outcomes.
Uh, my essay taking on The Sovereign Individual is getting very long. It's greater than a 20 minute read at this point. And I have also found myself bringing in Nozick's "Anarchy, State and Utopia" into it. I am approaching my critiques very much through the lens of Epistemic Liberalism, that I've been kicking around. But yeah, this is going to be some deeply academic reading.
More thoughts. docs.google.com/document/d/1cc…
I Am An Epistemic Liberal. https://medium.com/@mike.brock/i-am-an-epistemic-liberal-8fac669245de