Moral Mayhem

In this episode, we discuss philosopher Hrishikesh Joshi's paper "Debunking Creedal Beliefs." A creedal belief is one where: (1) there's little personal cost to being wrong, (2) the belief is policed by your social circle, and (3) it's not trivial to verify. Joshi argues you should hold these beliefs with less confidence—not because they're false, but because you'd hold them regardless of whether they're true. Get full access to Moral Mayhem Podcast at moralmayhem.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, we sit down with Greg Salmieri, senior scholar of philosophy at the Salem Center at UT Austin, to discuss ethical egoism—the theory that central to what makes an action good, what makes it right, what makes it moral—is that it benefits the person taking it.Salmieri argues that unlike other living creatures who follow biological algorithms, humans must consciously compose their lives through reason. We dive deep into why this leads to a specific form of rational egoism, one grounded in understanding human life as a creative, self-sustaining system. Salmieri explains why values only make sense from the standpoint of a living agent, why productive work is both an economic and psychological necessity, and why the choice to focus your mind forms the foundation of free will and individual ethics.Along the way, we touch on how this perspective interacts with other issues and social movements of our times: the problems with traditionalism, objections to utilitarianism and Effective Altruism, enforcing, social norms, the pronatalist movement and more. LInks to Greg's media presence and work: A Companion To Ayn Rand Talks & Lectures Follow Greg on X Get full access to Moral Mayhem Podcast at moralmayhem.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, philosopher and host of the Elucidations podcast, Matt Teichman, joins us to explore conversational implicature & the hidden rules that help us understand what people mean beyond their literal words. We dive into Paul Grice's cooperative principle and discuss a few real-world examples where communication famously broken down, like the infamous Kathy Newman/Jordan Peterson interview and Trump's "very fine people" comment. We also discuss implicatures in the corporate world and dating etiquette. Matt helps us unpack why some conversations go catastrophically wrong, how different communities develop their own communication norms, and why sometimes saying things indirectly is both more efficient and more fun. Get full access to Moral Mayhem Podcast at moralmayhem.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, we talk with Bryan Caplan about his letter to his daughter on feminism. We cover whether women have been historically disadvantaged, how male and female experiences stack up today, the problems with viewing identity groups through a justice lens, arranged marriages, the gender pay-gap or lack thereof, and more. Get full access to Moral Mayhem Podcast at moralmayhem.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Moral Mayhem, we stick up for those without a voice — bankers and hedge fund managers. We explore why middle men and financiers - from ancient moneylenders to modern hedge funds - are unique objects of scorn in the eyes of the public. We discuss the ethics of payday lending and consumer credit, the social value of public markets, positive externalities of active management and the oft-repeated claim that finance “sucks up too much talent”. In our introductory segment, we discuss Shrimp Welfare — a recently trending topic on Substack and the assumptions that underpin the Effective Altruism movement. Get full access to Moral Mayhem Podcast at moralmayhem.substack.com/subscribe

This week we were joined by our friend Jacob Falkovich. Jacob publishes some of the best “White-pilled” dating advice out there on his blog Second Person, and in addition to being a great Twitter follow he’s also known for putanumonit. We discuss the importance of agency in dating, the negativity bias prevalent in dating discourse, and the limited use-cases for dating apps. Jacob suggests taking a break from the metanarratives about dating (and how hopeless it is) to focus on your actual experiences—who are you meeting, what kind of things do you want to do with a partner (as opposed to what can you notice about them in the first 10 seconds), what is your actual dating market and is there a way to make it more favorable? We also touch on transactional relationships and the impact of identity and social norms on dating choices. Jacob suggests that when looking for a match, it’s always helpful if you generally like and care about people of the other sex, but he’s optimistic even about incels who he thinks are just “one smile from a cute girl away” from tossing their self-defeating ideology in the bin. Stay tuned to the end to hear Jacob’s take on the Barbie movie. Get full access to Moral Mayhem Podcast at moralmayhem.substack.com/subscribe

We’re talking about Love is Blind, the ‘scientific’ dating ‘experiment’ to discover how shallow reality TV stars really are (see the video version on Youtube). The show involves men and women dating in pods where they can hear but not see one another, and ultimately getting engaged “sight unseen” (at least if they want to stay on the show). We discuss how the ‘experiment’ can be understood as an attempt to solve an adverse selection problem for people who feel they overweight looks, or a particular type, to their own detriment and whether they achieve the promise of the show. And at the end we discuss the most interesting couple’s dynamics (to us) on the latest season: Marissa and Ramses, Hannah and Nick, and Tyler and Ashley.Check us out on Youtube for the video version of the episode.Chapters:* 00:00 Introduction to Love is Blind* 06:13 The Experiment of Love is Blind* 11:49 Reality TV Dynamics and Contestant Motivations* 17:56 The Nature of Attraction and Compatibility* 24:10 Transactional Relationships and Marriage* 29:53 Is This Modern Arranged Marriage?* 39:19 Incentives and Filtering* 42:14 (Lack of) Privacy* 45:31 Marissa and Ramses* 58:05 Hannah and Nick Get full access to Moral Mayhem Podcast at moralmayhem.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, we chat with Robin Hanson about his proposed solution to falling fertility rates in the US: since each newborn is effectively responsible for hundreds of thousands in national debt obligations, governments could endow parents with a portion of their children’s future tax payments - creating a win-win scenario where both parents and the nation's fiscal future benefit. Robin also shares his approach to his career, risk-taking and how to succeed as a polymath. Relevant Links:Policy proposal to incentivize higher fertility (Robin Hanson)Can we afford to buy marginal babies (Regan Arntz-Gray)That fertile formula is inefficient (Regan Arntz-Gray)Robin Hanson and Agnes Callard on Transformative Choices Get full access to Moral Mayhem Podcast at moralmayhem.substack.com/subscribe

In this conversation, we chat with Robin Hanson about his thesis on cultural drift, exploring the implications of the global monoculture and reduced selection pressures on the long-term future of humanity. We think through the mechanisms for and potential solutions to cultural drift, such as deep multiculturalism, human-level AI, adaptive transcendent narratives, prediction markets (futarchy) and more.Links to Hanson's posts on Cultural Drift:Rational CultureWhen Lawyers SingFloppy vs Stiff ConceptsCulture Drift Predicts DecadenceBetrayed by CultureLinks to other work by Hanson's that you might find interesting:Hanson's Book on Signaling Theory - Elephant in the Brain (we highly recommend this book!)Hanson's Book on Brain Emulation - The Age of EmOvercoming Bias - Hanson's Blog Hanson's Paper on Futarchy Get full access to Moral Mayhem Podcast at moralmayhem.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Moral Mayhem, we discuss and debate the ideas presented in Robin Hanson's essays on cultural drift. We examine his central argument that the emergence of a global monoculture, coupled with reduced existential pressures such as war and famine, enables the persistence of biologically maladaptive cultural values— falling fertility rates being the case in point. Some related questions we touch on:-- The challenges of aligning incentives and welfare across space and time-- The feasibility of consciously shaping cultural values-- The interplay between technological progress, economic incentives, and fertility rates-- The possibility of maintaining cultural diversity while preserving peace and cooperationLinks to Hanson’s blogs on the topic:How to fix cultural driftBetrayed by cultureCulture drift predicts decadenceFloppy vs stiff conceptsWhen lawyers singRational culture Get full access to Moral Mayhem Podcast at moralmayhem.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, we explore the moral tension surrounding illegal immigration in the United States. We discuss:* The ethical implications of deporting people who have built lives in America* The disparity in moral outrage between the fates of legal and illegal immigrants* The selection effects of illegal immigration * The fiscal impact of unauthorized immigrants * The need for democratic consensus on immigration policy versus circumventing laws* How the perception of border control affects the ability to have rational immigration policy discussions? Get full access to Moral Mayhem Podcast at moralmayhem.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, we discuss the hidden pitfalls of modern dating apps and job search platforms. We explore how the necessity of filtering large pools of candidates, combined with the limitations of relying on easily legible traits, can lead to counterintuitive outcomes.We discuss:* Why the traits easiest to filter for aren't always the most important* How correlated preferences among users amplify filtering effects* The composition of candidate pools and why being in the pool longer isn't always a good sign* The paradox of how stringent filtering can lead to lower-quality matches* Strategies for navigating these challenges in both dating and job searches Get full access to Moral Mayhem Podcast at moralmayhem.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, we sit down with Maxim Lott (author of Maximum Truth) to dive into prediction markets, focusing on election betting markets. We explore liquidity, market depth, and whether concerns over market manipulation hold water. We also indulge in some meta-political analysis, offering our intuitions on the best arguments and tail risks for each candidate in the current race. Get full access to Moral Mayhem Podcast at moralmayhem.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Moral Mayhem, we bravely wade into the minefield of racial groups and racism. We start with the usefulness of race as a category and when it might be appropriate to view the world through this lens. We touch on genetic diversity, interracial relationships, affirmative action, cultural assimilation and more. Get full access to Moral Mayhem Podcast at moralmayhem.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, we chat with Alex Kaschuta, writer and host of the Subversive podcast. We discuss:--> Alex's journey from diversity management to dissident right activism to cultural commentary--> The evolution of dating in the age of apps and changing economic roles--> The risks of reflexively manifesting one's abstract ideological beliefs in relationships and one's personal life more broadly--> Costs and benefits of speaking openly about evolutionary biology and group differences --> The difficulties of maintaining ideological consistency while following one's intellectual curiosity--> Why people seem to love to hate J.D. Vance? --> The complexities of addressing "intangible commons" issues through policy--> Reflections on Louise Perry's book "The Case Against the Sexual Revolution" Get full access to Moral Mayhem Podcast at moralmayhem.substack.com/subscribe

We’re joined for a second time by Martin Greenwald aka The Socratic Psychiatrist on Substack. We discuss whether corporal punishment would be a more ethical alternative to extended prison time, critiques of soft parenting and the infamous Collins’ “bop”, antisemitism and the cynical weaponization of rights based language and more. Also, Vaish teaches Regan and Martin some regional Indian stereotypes and the three of us finally admit how powerful and manly we think the online right is.Links:On the ethics of corporal punishment (Martin Greenwald)Wesley Fenza’s review of Bad Therapy Get full access to Moral Mayhem Podcast at moralmayhem.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, we chat with Chris Best, CEO and Co-Founder of Substack. We discuss Substack's origin story, revenue model and its effects on the information ecosystem. We also speculate on the effects of remote work on productivity and trust, on why Canadians are more woke on average, and why Chris thinks Silicon Valley is still the best place to build a startup. Stay till the end for some fun "rapid fire" questions. Get full access to Moral Mayhem Podcast at moralmayhem.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, we dissect (no pun intended) the issue of abortion, discussing both the object level political and moral considerations and the political polarization around the issue. We discuss the rights based framing of abortion but also spend time on the less discussed utilitarian/consequentialist frame. We discuss the reasonable moral intuitions on both sides and the tendency of each side to misrepresent the other. We end with a series of thought experiments to illustrate how advances in technology might affect our moral intuitions on the topic. Get full access to Moral Mayhem Podcast at moralmayhem.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Moral Mayhem, we dive into the recent political upheaval in the United States. We discuss our first impressions of Kamala Harris, debate the complexities surrounding Joe Biden's decision to step down, and the broader issues of norm violations in American politics. Get full access to Moral Mayhem Podcast at moralmayhem.substack.com/subscribe

In this show, Regan and I chat with psychiatrist and author of the publication Socratic Psychiatrist, Dr. Martin Greenwald. Martin shares his experience treating serious mental illness, while contextualizing it both historically and politcally. We discuss the relationship between serious mental illness and drug use, the bar for involuntary treatment and the feedback loops between psychiatric care and the criminal justice system. We also talk about therapy culture and the risks of identifying with one's diagnosis, while highlighting where we disagree with the "Bryan Caplan-esque" view on mental illness. Martin is a lot of fun to chat with so we take frequent detours into meditation, psychedelics, social justice activism and more.Links to some of Martin's work that we highly recommend: What Psychiatry Has Taught MeReconsidering Judicial Corporal PunishmentPolitics In The Clinic Get full access to Moral Mayhem Podcast at moralmayhem.substack.com/subscribe