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> Society would be better off if we avoid appeal to authority and instead focus on evidence-based decision-making While this sounds awesome in isolation (and i

> Society would be better off if we avoid appeal to authority and instead focus on evidence-based decision-making While this sounds awesome in isolation (and is perhaps even a goal to aim for), I am in two minds about the reality of it. In our society as it currently exists, most people are not in a position to collect, correctly understand and evaluate evidence for things outside their expertise. And some, like me, have very limited spheres of expertise to begin with. So people rely a lot on a "chain of trust" for informing their opinions and decisions. This is of course gameable and is indeed often gamed. But I am not sure this is avoidable. It does not seem possible today to teach oneself to a point where as an individual you can form a fully independent opinion, solely based on the study of evidence, in any reasonable time for very many different things. Maybe I am just pessimistic!

aeternum 7y ago
I agree with you, and no one can take the time to research everything from evidence. The chain of trust does have a place. However I'd also argue that this is the only time in history that we have almost the whole of human knowledge accessible at our fingertips from anywhere in the world within fractions of a second. If there ever were a time that we could look up actual evidence without expending inordinate effort, that time is now!
- amp108 7y ago
  > this is the only time in history that we have almost the whole of human knowledge accessible at our fingertips from anywhere in the world within fractions of a second. If there ever were a time that we could look up actual evidence without expending inordinate effort, that time is now! This is also the point in time where we have the most disinformation swimming around the internet as well. And it takes effort, possibly an inordinate amount, to cull the bad information from the good. Or else we're in the same conundrum as we always have been about whom to trust.

aeternum 7y ago

I agree with you, and no one can take the time to research everything from evidence. The chain of trust does have a place. However I'd also argue that this is the only time in history that we have almost the whole of human knowledge accessible at our fingertips from anywhere in the world within fractions of a second. If there ever were a time that we could look up actual evidence without expending inordinate effort, that time is now!

amp108 7y ago
> this is the only time in history that we have almost the whole of human knowledge accessible at our fingertips from anywhere in the world within fractions of a second. If there ever were a time that we could look up actual evidence without expending inordinate effort, that time is now! This is also the point in time where we have the most disinformation swimming around the internet as well. And it takes effort, possibly an inordinate amount, to cull the bad information from the good. Or else we're in the same conundrum as we always have been about whom to trust.