Clearer Thinking with Spencer Greenberg Aligning society with our deepest values and sources of meaning (with Joe Edelman)
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May 8, 2024 Joe Edelman, a philosopher and sociologist, co-founder of the Meaning Alignment Institute, talks about the complexities of values. He discusses how intrinsic values can bridge political divides and encourage cooperation. Edelman examines the role of AI as a potential mediator in reducing polarization. He critiques how markets often overlook addressing deep human needs, and emphasizes the importance of uniting around shared values to create societal progress. The conversation underscores the need for transparency in harnessing technology for collective well-being.
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Three Types of Values
- "Values" can be defined in three ways: banner terms used in political fights, social norms, and personal sources of meaning.
- Joe Edelman focuses on the third type, which underlies the other two and reveals surprising agreement.
Finding Value Convergence
- Value convergence emerges when considering context, phrasing, and exposure to wiser values.
- Contextualizing values reveals their importance in specific situations, while rephrasing removes political baggage.
Democratic Process with Chatbot
- Edelman's democratic process uses a chatbot to identify values in specific situations, like a young woman considering abortion.
- Users then compare their values with others', identifying "wiser" values and building a "moral graph" representing value consensus.