Conversation

Quantum deontological ethics: Being okay with the wrong people doing the right thing for the wrong reasons, largely by accident. It is trust in a superposition of good/bad agency and intended/unintended effects, operating at complex system scale/
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We are able to be quantum-deontological ethicists to the degree we are able to overlook the “wrongness” of the person and their reasons for acting. To the extent we are not, we experience “wrong person derangement” syndrome.
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Trump derangement syndrome AOC derangement syndrome Clinton-Obama derangement syndrome Evil capitalist derangement syndrome Wokeleban apparatchik derangement syndrome Greta Thunberg derangement syndrome Actual Nazis derangement syndrome Actual Stalinists derangement syndrome
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All major actors today are “wrong persons” to enough people to be objects of derangement obsessions. They all represent quantum deontological agency: there is a non-trivial chance they might get lucky and do the right thing for the wrong reasons better than your “right” people
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This is what drives us crazy with cognitive dissonance. The wrong people being randomly better for *our* goals than right ones. A universe with that kind of unpredictability in the basic causal chain of agency (values —> intentions —> actions —> outcomes) makes us feel helpless
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We all have at least one of these derangement syndromes. If you think you’re above the deranged level, you’re either stupid, in deep denial, or not paying attention. Mine happens to (still) be Trump. A lot of people I argue with have wokeleban derangement syndrome.
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Why are we so terrified of the *success* of these wrong people (however accidental and mal-intended) relat9ve to *our* goals? Shouldn’t we be happy to get what we want no matter how? No because we are afraid it will legitimize them for ever.
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This is a sort of collapse of the wave function to regular deontological ethics. The way out is to recognize that we’re in the quantum zone for good. (to be continued gtg, meeting)
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