Kevin Simler

Open-ended Q: Why do people subscribe to ideologies? E.g., Objectivism, communism, Mormonism, transhumanism, social justice-ism...

@KevinSimler a set of convincing and self-coherent arguments. A local max for defensibility.

@ctbeiser I like this view a lot. But no social incentives (beyond argument defensibility)?

@KevinSimler Definitely not the only reason! But we jump the post-rationalist shark when we act like people don’t believe what they believe.

@ctbeiser @KevinSimler that's not the claim - it's that completely sincere beliefs are socially transmitted (or sanctioned or prevented)

@sarahdoingthing @KevinSimler I think of ‘belief’ is broader than just a set of facts memorized— rationales are tied up intimately w/ that.