tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1089082204850170942.post5112748616581939589..comments2024-03-21T12:52:08.166+11:00Comments on Freedom and Flourishing: What is to be gained by listening to opposing viewpoints?Winton Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07383561940886657594noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1089082204850170942.post-76011808224394609862018-04-24T13:38:24.141+10:002018-04-24T13:38:24.141+10:00Thanks Leah. I quoted the passage from you because...Thanks Leah. I quoted the passage from you because I think it makes the point very well.<br /><br />I look forward to the post you foreshadow.Winton Bateshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07383561940886657594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1089082204850170942.post-88235197598205626832018-04-24T10:07:52.576+10:002018-04-24T10:07:52.576+10:00Hi Winton,
Great post! Thank also you for quoting...Hi Winton,<br /><br />Great post! Thank also you for quoting from my writing!<br /><br />"It now seems to be much more common for people to parrot the views of the leaders of their political tribe and to refuse to consider opposing viewpoints." - I agree with this and I've been planning to write a more in depth post about it actually. <br /><br /> Leahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08960409132248157827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1089082204850170942.post-63183957530093053932018-04-20T12:06:46.837+10:002018-04-20T12:06:46.837+10:00Hi Stephen
Thanks for your comments.
I enjoyed Pin...Hi Stephen<br />Thanks for your comments.<br />I enjoyed Pinker’s book and will write about it next. I have to think about it more, but It seems to me that some pessimism about current trends in liberal democracy is warranted if we are to avert economic catastrophe and the subsequent need for traumatic adjustments.<br /><br />I have just listened to the Roberts interview of Sunstein. It was interesting to hear Sunstein being pushed on how far he would go on regulation of Twitter and Facebook. I think I should put his book on my reading list because he may have a useful framework to think about the issues. <br /><br />Winton Bateshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07383561940886657594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1089082204850170942.post-71609593494770450502018-04-20T00:31:54.279+10:002018-04-20T00:31:54.279+10:00Interesting piece, Winton. Pinker’s book is great,...Interesting piece, Winton. Pinker’s book is great, isn’t it? <br /><br />I’ve been familiar with Kahan’s work for some time. Together with work by Jonathan Haidt on moral foundations, my rational view of things has taken a bit of a hit. If reason is the slave of the passions and the smartest people are best at motivated reasoning, then what hope have we got?<br /><br />Pinker offers some ideas forward - so while that is good to see, I was less convinced by this part of the book. <br /><br />Another idea - also not that satisfying - was offered up by Cass Sunstein on EconTalk last year. Sunstein mentioned an app called Read Across the Aisle, which is designed to allow you to monitor the political valence of what you see on the internet. (See http://www.econtalk.org/archives/2017/05/cass_sunstein_o.html). Sunstein also suggests that people could benefit from there being “Opposing Viewpoints” or “Serendipity” buttons. This all seems a bit weak. And it seems to be a soft version of what are now seeing with Google and Facebook pre-empting government regulation with offering fact checking (that still manages to skew left).<br /><br />Engaging with different opinions is really hard work that takes a lot of cognitive effort, so it is an uphill battle.Stephen Clivelynoreply@blogger.com