Interesting to see CFAR involved. I'm a big fan of Julia Galef. She's the president and cofounder of CFAR.
One of the things that struck me most was an interview with her years ago talking about the people that CFAR let into their programs. She said something to the effect that they didn't let people in that were trying to change other people's minds, but that were out to clarify their own thinking.
I really liked that. I'm a big fan of intellectual honesty: pursuing truth (however loosey-goosey that is for humans) rather needing to be right or win the argument.
> they didn't let people in that were trying to change other people's minds, but that were out to clarify their own thinking.
I'm not sure how much we can take this at face value, given that the OP mentions a guy (Michael Vassar), who apparently associates himself with the rationalist space and has been accused of brainwashing people and driving them crazy with "mind tricks". There's even been allegations that the now infamous craziness of this Zizian group may effectively be downstream of that.
That could very well be true. However, it's still an important idea to me and, I think, a lot of others.
People and organizations change. It's possible the CFAR and its founders started out with one mission or goal and that changed internally for whatever reason.
I have heard a version saying that Vassar changed (after he started experimenting with drugs). And at some moment later, he also got banned from the community.
One of the things that struck me most was an interview with her years ago talking about the people that CFAR let into their programs. She said something to the effect that they didn't let people in that were trying to change other people's minds, but that were out to clarify their own thinking.
I really liked that. I'm a big fan of intellectual honesty: pursuing truth (however loosey-goosey that is for humans) rather needing to be right or win the argument.