The hottest Epistemology Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Philosophy Topics

Social Conservatism as 4D Chess

Richard Hanania's Newsletter • 2048 implied HN points • 11 Mar 24
📖 Philosophy Ethics Epistemology Culture Policy Religion
  1. Social conservatives make claims about higher-order effects to justify their positions on issues like abortion and euthanasia, but these claims often lack evidence or are disproven by cross-national comparisons.
  2. Slippery slope arguments can be valid in limited contexts, but broad claims like legalizing prostitution affecting overall societal values need substantial evidence, which is often lacking.
  3. Government policies in free countries have limited influence on shaping culture predictably; the impact is often chaotic and hard to plan for, as seen by historical examples of social policies not aligning with expected cultural changes.
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Me vs Huemer

David Friedman’s Substack • 341 implied HN points • 13 Feb 24
📖 Philosophy Epistemology Ethics Logic Bias Experts
  1. Consider forming opinions on controversial issues based on evaluating arguments rather than just trusting the experts
  2. Experts may not always have expertise in all aspects of an issue, so it's important to critically evaluate their arguments and not just rely on their authority
  3. It's crucial to judge both arguments and arguers, as bias and incentives can influence the opinions of experts in controversial topics

Philosophy is the mathematics of language

Wood From Eden • 816 implied HN points • 23 Dec 23
📖 Philosophy Language Mathematics Concepts Logic Epistemology
  1. Philosophy is the art of clarifying concepts and finding links between them.
  2. Philosophy is similar to mathematics in that it explores relationships between concepts, just as mathematics explores relationships between numbers.
  3. Concepts in philosophy change over time, making it a field that evolves constantly unlike mathematics which is built on stable concepts.

Inferential Appearances

Fake Noûs • 81 implied HN points • 16 Mar 24
📖 Philosophy Epistemology Inference
  1. The post discusses how inferential justification is obtained through appearances.
  2. Explicitly inferring a belief from a premise is highlighted as a method of gaining this justification.
  3. The post is for paid subscribers, with the option to subscribe or sign in for those already subscribed.

Aristotle on Luck

Classical Wisdom • 2181 implied HN points • 23 Jun 23
📖 Philosophy Ancient Philosophy Metaphysics Ethics Epistemology Logic
  1. Aristotle distinguishes between luck and chance, pointing out that luck involves events that occur unexpectedly without necessity or regularity.
  2. Luck requires conscious decisions and human intent, while chance is simply a coincidental occurrence without purpose.
  3. Understanding luck and chance can lead to philosophical questions about the universe and our existence.

Recent Media Appearances

Good Thoughts • 216 implied HN points • 20 Jan 24
📖 Philosophy Ethics Epistemology Metaphysics
  1. Recent public philosophy discussions cover effective altruism, longtermism, and synthetic a priori knowledge.
  2. Critical discussion on the reliance on supernatural forces in discerning philosophical truths.
  3. Rejecting the causal debunking principle in favor of relying on coherent philosophical methods for truth-seeking.

Epicurus, the First "Rationalist"?

Maximum Truth • 37 implied HN points • 15 Mar 24
📖 Philosophy Ancient Philosophy Moral Philosophy Epistemology Metaphysics Ethics
  1. Epicurus, an ancient philosopher, focused on maximizing pleasure and minimizing pain, inspiring utilitarianism.
  2. Epicurus had a rational and secular approach to understanding the world, advocating for scientific explanations over myths.
  3. He had insightful scientific views for his time, such as proposing the existence of atoms and explaining the origins of scents.

My Own Private Energy Crisis

Justin E. H. Smith's Hinternet • 881 implied HN points • 29 May 23
📖 Philosophy Metaphysics Ethics Political Philosophy Epistemology Aesthetics
  1. When traveling by airplane, we ignore the risks we know are there, which reflects our ability to overlook inherent dangers in pursuit of convenience.
  2. The sense of class, wealth, and comfort among individuals varies, influencing their attitudes towards success and societal norms.
  3. The modern lifestyle involves navigating through ideological and moral contradictions, from energy consumption to personal choices, which can lead to reflections on societal values and personal actions.

Dealing with Uncertainty

Tessa Fights Robots • 18 implied HN points • 15 Mar 24
📖 Philosophy Existentialism Ethics Metaphysics Epistemology Spirituality
  1. Uncertainty is a fundamental part of life, and we should connect with our inner selves to navigate it.
  2. Warm, caring people, a strong sense of inner goodness, and reliance on loving spiritual powers can help us withstand uncertainty with courage.
  3. Predators thrive on spoiling communities and creating insecurity, but emphasizing our spiritual connection and goodness can protect us and bring peace.

AI, or, Shifty Epistemics and Shaky Ontologies

Deep Fix • 491 implied HN points • 07 Jul 23
🕹 Technology AI Epistemology Ontology Digital economy Artificial General Intelligence
  1. AI technology can lead to a breakdown in how we know and understand information, potentially causing chaos and confusion.
  2. The use of AI in an era of eroding trust and extreme ideologies may worsen division and extremism in society.
  3. Concerns exist about the worldviews and intentions of individuals, especially men, behind AI technology, with fears of their impact on society and humanity.

The Continuing Relevance of Adam Smith's "Man of System"

Knowledge Problem • 137 implied HN points • 29 Nov 23
📖 Philosophy Morality Epistemology Political Philosophy Ethics
  1. Adam Smith criticizes interventionist approaches in government that disregard individual preferences and autonomy.
  2. Smith highlights the knowledge problem, emphasizing that individuals have unique preferences and societal systems cannot easily override them.
  3. The 'man of system' imposes his ideals regardless of objections, whereas Smith's analyses focus on systems where participation is voluntary and based on mutual agreement.

A More Lenient Theory of Casual Reference

Hunter’s Substack • 1 HN point • 13 Apr 24
📖 Philosophy Metaphysics Epistemology Ethics Theology Logic
  1. The theory of causal reference, as proposed by Putnam, faces challenges as it may not adequately explain how individuals can refer to things with which they have no direct causal connection.
  2. Concepts can be developed from prior causal experiences to enable meaningful reference to phenomena regardless of direct causal history, challenging the strict causal necessity theory of reference.
  3. The mind's ability to create new concepts from prior experiences provides a plausible explanation for how individuals can refer to abstract or novel ideas, even if they lack direct causal connections.

Epistemology and Synthetic Market Design: Examples from Ecosystem Services

Knowledge Problem • 176 implied HN points • 30 Jun 23
📖 Philosophy Epistemology Market design Institutions Policy
  1. Some of the most illuminating work in market design has been in payment for ecosystem services (PES).
  2. Synthetic markets and deliberate institutional design are criticized for being epistemic and teleological.
  3. Testing is essential in synthetic market design to understand how people respond to incentives in different institutional frameworks.

Rationalism and social rationalism

Philosophy bear • 62 implied HN points • 10 Mar 23
📖 Philosophy Rationalism Belief Epistemology
  1. It's more important for society to get questions right than for individuals to be right, especially for political, existential risk, scientific, technological, and ethical questions.
  2. Different aspects of belief can go in different directions within a single person, and collective rationality can differ from individual rationality.
  3. Advocating beliefs should consider the gap between personal belief and societal belief, and focus on contributing unique information to enhance public reason.