Are Rationalists Religious Fanatics?
Discussion series introduction
Many people come to me to adjust to new cultures, practice nuance, learn new vocabulary, prepare for interviews, and above all, discuss. When we enter a discussion to learn and not to prove others wrong, a human connection forms that LLMs (large language models like ChatGPT) can't emulate.
LLMs assist the process by expanding on my notes so I can focus on listening. Listen to understand.
One of the strongest motives for learning a language is to feel understood. Sure, an LLM can make you feel eerily seen with their sycophantic responses, but they don't feel what you're saying.
Responses are a small part of teaching. My job is to ask you questions. Questions that get you to think differently, use specific vocabulary, make new connections, but most of all, questions that make you feel listened to. No prompt and response rate can emulate the flow of a human conversation.
Still, a set of well-chosen questions makes a good starting point. That’s what I’m offering with this new series. Send your thoughts in the comments, or, better yet, book a Global Citizen Entry Call.
Today's discussion questions are about rationality.
- Creativity and intuition: Can imagination, intuition, and art reveal truths that logic cannot? Or are those just pleasant illusions that distract from reality?
- Rationality as elitism: Rationalists often present themselves as holding superior knowledge. Is rationalism genuinely democratic, or is it just another hierarchy of who gets to “own the truth”?
- Cherry-picking progress: Psychologist Steven Pinker emphasizes the decline of war and disease but downplays climate change, inequality, and surveillance capitalism. Is rational optimism just selective storytelling?
- Psychological costs: Some rationalist ideas (like quantum immortality or AI apocalypse scenarios) can be terrifying. Do you think pure rational inquiry should pursue “truth at all costs,” even if it causes despair?
- The problem of measurement: If we only value what can be counted—like literacy rates, life expectancy, GDP—what gets lost? What aspects of human well-being can’t be measured but matter most?
- Rationality as religion: If rationalists separate fact from fiction with absolute certainty, are they reproducing the same rigidity and intolerance they criticize in religious fundamentalists?
- The paradox of reason: Gödel showed that no logical system can fully explain itself. Does this mean rationalism is ultimately incomplete? If so, what should fill in the gaps—faith, myth, art, politics, or something else?
- Fundamentalist mindsets: “You can take the fundamentalist out of Christianity, but you can’t take the fundamentalist out of the fundamentalist.” I thought of this line when I realized Robert Sapolsky came from an Orthodox Jewish household. Do you agree? Can rationalism itself become a kind of faith?
- The limits of logic: Steven Pinker highlights statistics about global progress. Sam Kriss insists that myths, lies, and ambiguity are essential to human life. Can we live fully on facts alone, or do we need “unreality” to stay human?
If these types of discussions interest you, book a session.
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Some of these questions naturally arose when discussing the following videos and articles in my class.
Sam Kriss
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