San Diego Rationalists

Welcome to our regular meetup! We talk about rationality, thinking, reasoning, relationships, science, math, economics, technology, and everything else. If you're interested in thinking and talking about ideas we'd love to hear what's on your mind. We love to share ideas, discuss, debate, learn and grow together. Don't worry about being the "right" kind of person - you most definitely are. Please join us!

Let's discuss how we draw the line between "this is bad" and "this should be illegal." We'll use Scott Alexander's axiology/morality/law distinction as a starting framework and look at the question from a few angles: Does the state have a legitimate interest in preventing "moral decay" even when no one is directly harmed? What happens when you try to legislate against victimless behaviors like drug use, pornography, or sexual practices the majority disapproves of? Is the harm principle a good Schelling fence, or does it have its own problems?

Primary reading:
https://slatestarcodex.com/2017/08/28/contra-askell-on-moral-offsets/

Supplementary readings:
https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/Kbm6QnJv9dgWsPHQP/schelling-fences-on-slippery-slopes
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/law-limits/

Also related but only if you're really interested:
https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/your-book-review-the-righteous-mind

Join us for a discussion of Inadequate Equilibria by Eliezer Yudkowsky.

Blurb:
When should you think that you may be able to do something unusually well?
Whether you’re trying to outperform in science, or in business, or just in finding good deals on eBay, it’s important that you have a sober understanding of your relative competencies.
The story only ends there, however, if you’re fortunate enough to live in an adequate civilization.
Eliezer Yudkowsky’s Inadequate Equilibria is a sharp and lively guidebook for anyone questioning when and how they can know better, and do better, than the status quo. Freely mixing debates on the foundations of rational decision-making with tips for everyday life, Yudkowsky explores the central question of when we can (and can’t) expect to spot systemic inefficiencies, and exploit them.

Join us as we discuss Accelerando by Charles Stross.

Blurb:
The Singularity. It is the era of the posthuman. Artificial intelligences have surpassed the limits of human intellect. Biotechnological beings have rendered people all but extinct. Molecular nanotechnology runs rampant, replicating and reprogramming at will. Contact with extraterrestrial life grows more imminent with each new day.
Struggling to survive and thrive in this accelerated world are three generations of the Macx clan: Manfred, an entrepreneur dealing in intelligence amplification technology whose mind is divided between his physical environment and the Internet; his daughter, Amber, on the run from her domineering mother, seeking her fortune in the outer system as an indentured astronaut; and Sirhan, Amber’s son, who finds his destiny linked to the fate of all of humanity.