#11: Bryan Caplan - You Will Not Stampede Me: Essays on Non-Conformism
Feb 26, 2024
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Bryan Caplan, Professor of economics, discusses nonconformism, rationality, AI risk, polyamory, academia, education, and societal norms, challenging conformity and advocating for independent thinking. He shares insights on writing, natalism, and hedonic adaptation, emphasizing the importance of originality and unique perspectives in various professional and academic environments.
Society's unpredictable nature necessitates a balance between diverse viewpoints and free speech to prevent conformity.
Challenges in fostering critical thinking and nonconformity highlight the importance of individuality over collectivism.
Debates on the relevance of academic tenure and the value of unconventional research underscore the need for academic freedom and innovation in education.
Deep dives
Diverse perspectives on potential future crises
The discussion covers the unpredictability of future crises, highlighting the impact of significant events like the George Floyd protests and the Ukraine conflict. The conversation delves into the difficulty of foreseeing the next major crisis and reflects on past missed forecasts, emphasizing the rarity of full-blown crusades and the role of shocking events in driving societal reactions.
Navigating large unselective groups and social media moderation
The dangers associated with large unselective groups, exemplified by X Twitter, are explored, addressing moderation challenges to balance selectiveness and free speech. Insights suggest a shift towards embracing diverse viewpoints rather than conformity. The analysis extends to platforms like LinkedIn, criticizing conformity in professional social media and emphasizing the importance of fostering nonconformity.
Encouraging nonconformity through rationality and individuality
The significance of rational decision-making and nonconformity in various contexts is underscored, drawing parallels with Eliezer Yudkowsky's rationalism. A focus on critical thinking, base rates, and strategic nonconformist approaches is advocated, challenging the balance between individuality and collectivism while promoting empathy, concrete tests of nonconformity, and fostering independent critical thinking in academic settings.
Challenges of Tenure and Academic Infrastructure
Tenure and the traditional academic infrastructure are discussed, with contrasting views on their importance. While tenure is praised for enabling academic freedom, the speaker expresses reservations, calling it a disaster with minor benefits overshadowed by costs. The role of tenure for individuals interested in unconventional research is highlighted, acknowledging the limitations for those lacking charisma or risk aversion.
Educational Curriculum and Computer Science
The podcast delves into the structure of educational curricula, specifically questioning the inclusion of computer science as a core subject. The speaker debates whether computer science should be on par with math, emphasizing the value of math's versatile applications. In discussing scaling educational approaches, the speaker advocates for flexibility in late-stage career transitions towards programming, contrasting the difficulties of catching up on missed math education in later stages of development.
Bryan Caplan is a professor of economics at George Mason University, research fellow at the Mercatus Center, adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute, writer at EconLib and Bet On It, and best-selling author of eight books, including You Will Not Stampede Me: Essays on Non-Conformism, the subject of this episode.
0:00 - Intro
2:04 - The Next Crusade
3:44 - Moderating X
6:11 - Inventing Slippery Slopes
8:04 - Right-Wing Antiwokes
10:20 - Nonconformism and Asperger’s
12:02 - Making society less conformist
16:44 - The rationality community
20:30 - Polyamory
23:28 - Caplan vs. Yudkowsky on methods of rationality
26:40 - Updating on AI risk
29:35 - Checking your nonconformity
31:10 - Making LinkedIn not suck
33:53 - The George Mason economics department
38:35 - Does tenure still matter?
40:03 - Improving education
46:50 - Should people living under totalitarianism conform?