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@andy_matuschak

If this were a religion—it is, I think!—what would be its hymns?

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Patrick Collison

· Apr 19, 2020

Scientists and engineers, like those listed, are the heroes who will get us out of this mess. Here's to them, to discovery, and to progress. (Build!)

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This movement has very little to nothing of the religious in it... it lacks religion's core function: "relates humanity to supernatural, transcendental, or spiritual elements." It is for precisely this reason that we cannot imagine any of its hymns.

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This is not meant to disparage the work itself: I stand behind it wholeheartedly!! But there is very little religious function here.

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Michael is back in San Francisco, soon in Santa Fe

@michael_nielsen

I agree. Used humanely, technocracy has many useful effects, but... I don't want to worship either the steam engine or capital.

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@andy_matuschak

*nods* Would you say you identify with worshipping the spirit which created those things (and other Works—past, present, future)?

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If we're speaking of something akin to Spirit in the Hegelian sense? The existence of a voracious, irreducible thing in each of us? Indubitably.

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It's a challenging conversation for Twitter (and I'm frankly not very good at this medium) -- but I really appreciate your voicing anything "religious" out loud, and don't mean to disparage it.

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@andy_matuschak

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@michael_nielsen

I wish I could understand Hegel, but it sure sounds like that’s what I’m talking about! Don’t feel disparaged in the slightest, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to clarify, refine, understand alternatives, etc. 🙇‍♂️🙌

10:10 PM · Apr 19, 2020TweetDeck

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@andy_matuschak

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@michael_nielsen

Yah he's a bitch but we use what we have. I don't think Spirit is something we can talk about directly? That seems to be something inherent to it. It's embarrassing and frustrating to be circular, but circularity may be the best we have.

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