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*You probably want to jump over here.

0.1.1 “Philosophy”

To most people, philosophy is “a subject so complex and confusing, that there are no actual answers nor applications in the real world.”²It’s somewhat true; philosophy hasn’t, indeed, yet helped anyone build their rocket ship. At least, seemingly.

I used to dislike philosophy. In my eyes, philosophers seemed unfit, unhappy, broke, envious, resentful, like most people…the subject looked like a whole bunch of lies.³E.g. People who study ethics don’t act more ethically.

And I now realize that (good) philosophy “does” matter.⁴And that, I’m only interested in those that do matter. The others are boring, personally.There are answers to the important questions in life.

0.1.2 “Did I Copy This Person?”

Yes.

Name any person that comes to your mind. Did I copy them? Yes. Even if I don’t know them, or any of their concepts, I copied their works.

I sincerely believe that none of this is original. The ideas just came to me, and these posts just organized them.

Don’t give me any credit.

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1.1 Absolutes

1.1.1 Information Tree

• ‘Sensory inputs’: Information communicated by the body.
  • ‘Impressions’: of sensory inputs; Concepts⁵Concepts (also facts/given): (Distilled) Abstract information.from the sensory inputs; Interpretations.⁶E.g. When I look at a book, all I see is a set of colours. Yet, there’s a concept called “books”—it’s an interpretation of colours.
• ‘Thoughts’: Information created by the mind.
  • ‘Ideas’: Concepts from the mind; Imaginations.⁷Not interpreting colours as books, but imagining colours from the concept of books.
  • ‘Explanations’: to concepts (& the interactions between concepts).
    • ‘Beliefs‘: (Currently) unfalsifiable explanations.
    • (Intellectual) ‘Knowledge’: Falsifiable explanations.
      • ‘Trivia’: Unimportant knowledge.

1.1.2 Absolutes

• 2 things are absolute: ‘reason’⁸the way we (deductively) connect axioms⁹including its (logical) tools: “IF, AND, THEN, OR, TRUE/FALSE, EXIST/NOT, …”& ‘raw information'(experience).¹⁰Sensory inputs & Thoughts
• They’re foundational; all (essential) concepts/knowledge stem from the ‘absolutes’.
  • Thinking(information processing) needs logic¹¹to make raw information usable(concepts)& information.¹²Logic is the means of explanations (thus knowledge).
• They’re “absolute” because I can’t think otherwise¹³I can’t explain the means (+ tools) using the means—it would be circular reasoning (<- uses the means too)¹⁴E.g. How can I explain “if”?; anything beyond the ‘absolutes’ is beyond the concept of “absolute” itself.¹⁵Perhaps some things are beyond absolute (under different laws of physics). But then, it’s irrelevant to this reality.
• ∴ ‘Absolutes’ aren’t falsifiable/provable.¹⁶While necessary in all knowledge.¹⁷‘Falsifications’ & ‘proofs’ are “from” the absolutes. Falsifying/proving absolutes would be circular reasoning (which is false).

1.1.3 Do I Exist?

• Consciousness¹⁸the experience of raw informationabsolutely exists.
  • Experience, per se, isn’t fallible; An illusion(“false” perception) is, still, experience.¹⁹E.g. If I look at a carrot and see a banana, I’m still “seeing”. An experience being incorrect doesn’t disprove the existence of that experience.
• ‘I’, the soul²⁰the point of perception(experience)²¹I don’t mean “soul” in a religious sense; I don’t even know what it would mean., am consciousness; Consciousness is ‘I’.
  • Experience is all there is;²²The perception of reality is experience; the perception of self is experience.There’s no ‘I’, separate from experience.
  • ‘I’ is the distinction from ‘other’; the boundary of experience.

1.1.4 Deduction

1. Consciousness absolutely exists;
2. I am Consciousness;
3. I absolutely exist.

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1.2 Essential Knowledge

1.2.1 Essentiality

1.2.2 Essential Axioms

1.2.3 Facets of Reality

1.2.4 Does Reality Exist?

• They coexist & correspond to each other, in different planes; neither comes first:

1. ‘The narrative’ is an abstraction of the ‘physical’; it’s created/corrected upon ‘the physical’.
2. However, ‘the physical’ (& its physics) isn’t absolute; its existence depends on ‘the narrative’.
3. ‘The narrative’ is tied to the experience, which is absolutely real.
   Which means:
4. The experience(absolute) is in the form of ‘the narrative’, based on ‘the physical'(not-absolute),
   THEREFORE:
5. ‘The narrative’ and ‘the physical’ are co-dependent, AND
6. Like ‘the physical’, ‘the narrative’ is not-absolute, AND
7. Both are necessary for reality to essentially exist.²³Absolute truths lead to nothing on their own; reality doesn’t exist without ‘the narrative/physical’. Without ‘the physical’, reality doesn’t exist in the first place. Without ‘the narrative’, there’s no experience of reality, which is no different than reality not existing.

1.2.5 The Paradox, Simply:

• The ‘self’ is made up of the physical reality, AND,
• The physical reality can be perceived and understood only through the ‘self’.²⁴Perceptions & explanations are narrative concepts.
• ∴ ‘The physical’ and ‘the narrative’ coexist.²⁵It’s a circular dependence.

1.2.6 Knowledge Spectrum

1.2.7 Reduction vs. Abstraction

1.2.8 Ship of Theseus

Ship of Theseus

• The problem comes from merging multiple levels of abstractions.
• (Purely) Narratively,²⁶looking at the whole,the ship remains “Theseus’s ship”.
• In reduction,²⁷looking at the parts,the ship doesn’t stay the same.²⁸(Purely) Physically, the ship doesn’t even exist.

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2.1 This Reality

2.1.1 What is This Reality?

• This is a reality question; It can’t have an absolute answer; It has to be answered with essential axioms—causality/objectivity.²⁹Not necessarily objectivity.³⁰All explanations of how this reality is in the form of cause & effect.
• This is the base-layer reality, OR the indefinite-th layer reality.

2.1.2 This-Layer Reality

• In all cases, this is the best layer, because I’m experiencing it.³¹I wouldn’t put myself into this reality(simulation) if it’s worse than the lower layer reality.
• I’m the main character, because my experience(existence) precedes reality.

2.1.3 Sidenote: God

• Absolutely, God is that which is beyond the absolute.
• Essentially, God is the entity that created this-layer reality.

2.1.4 How “Real” is This Reality?

• Essentially: From God’s (extrinsic) POV, it’s as real as a “bunch of lines of code”.
• From within (this reality), it’s totally real.³²It’s all there is.³³In a simulation, the point is to pretend that this reality is “real”. Otherwise, I’d know.
• Regardless, the experience of this reality is absolutely real.

2.1.5 What is Life?

• Absolutely, all experiences happen over a span of time.³⁴“Swinging a stick” happens across a certain time frame.The past & present blend into an experience.
• Essentially, every explanation of real events uses ’cause & effect’; explanations are storylines(narratives).
  • Physically, the cause is the past.³⁵It’s a “how” question.
• Narratively, the cause is the past ‘and’ the future(motives).³⁶It’s a “how & why” question.
• ∴ Life isn’t just the moment; Life is a story; Life is a set of experiences with a storyline.³⁷I can’t reduce life down to the moment, because it then becomes inexplicable.

2.1.6 What is The Meaning of Life?

• This is a narrative question.

2.1.7 What is The Purpose of Life?

• It’s a “why” question; It’s an infinite regress, until the answer is for its own sake.
• The answer has to be about the experience.

2.1.8 More On

• If there’s pleasure/fulfillment, life is good enough; I don’t need an extrinsic answer.³⁸Why do I watch a movie?³⁹It’s only when the experience is unsatisfactory do I ask “why do I live…”
• More on

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2.2 The Self

2.2.1 My “Self”

• The ‘self’ is the part of reality that connects ‘reality’ & ‘soul’.

2.2.2 Conscious

• The ‘conscious’ is the reality-entity of ‘I’.⁴⁰It’s the only un-removable part of ‘I’.
• It’s the part of the ‘self’ that’s connected to the soul(‘I’).

2.2.3 Unconscious

• The ‘unconscious’ is the group of processing units performing most work.
• (With multiple units) It can multitask, as a whole.
• It functions automatically (without awareness), according to its programming.
• The ‘unconscious’, as a whole, is always active.
• It has a strong(fast) processing power.

2.2.4 Mind

• The ‘mind’ is the generator of thoughts.
• Mostly, it uses the unconscious’ processing power to generate ideas.⁴¹Ideas are partially-randomized connections of information(stored information).
• It also creates emotional feelings, based on the unconscious’ analysis of information⁴²interactions between concepts.
• It’s in charge of creating storylines.

2.2.5 Body

• The ‘body’ is the part of the ‘self’ that’s connected to reality.
• The (un)conscious sends orders to the ‘body’; the ‘body’ returns feedback(sensory inputs -> feelings).

2.2.6 Circuit

• Thoughts/Emotions are mechanisms that the (un)conscious uses to express itself.
• Those expressions lead to further actions, and are sent through the consciousness (paired with the sensory inputs).

2.2.7 Is there Free Will?

• Physically? No.⁴³Physics is deterministic.⁴⁴There’s no ‘self’ in the first place.
• Narratively? Yes.⁴⁵I experience the making decision.⁴⁶Also, reality is largely unpredictable.

2.2.8 Free Will

• Awareness is ‘free will’, narratively.
• The conscious can be aware; it can act in ‘free will’; it’s autonomous. The unconscious is the opposite.
• Only the conscious has ‘free will’; the ‘self’ without the conscious has no ‘free will’.⁴⁷“I” have ‘free will’. My ‘self’ does not.
• Complete Free Will

2.2.9 Movie or Game

• Physically, life is neither.
• Narratively(extrinsically), life is a game.⁴⁸With free will.However:

1. The unconscious is in charge most of the time.⁴⁹As it’s more powerful.
2. The conscious has the capacity to reprogram the unconscious, and change the ‘self’ & its circumstances.

• ∴ Life is a movie where I’m the director.⁵⁰The director who creates the set and guides the actor.
• Reality is the setting, my ‘self’ is the main character, and I’m the audience.
• Life is a movie

2.2.10 More On

• The ability to have complete control of the movie; that’s ownership.
• Any entity that doesn’t direct its movie is an NPC; NPC has no autonomy.⁵¹NPCs live completely reactive, predictable lives.
• The major separator between humans and animals is the capacity for free will, and the potential for ownership.

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3.1 Contentment

3.1.1 Feeling

• ‘Feeling’ is buying into the pure sensory input and/or the narrative.
• ‘Feeling’ is both physical & emotional.⁵²They’re both sensory experiences.
• Overall ‘feeling’ is on a pain-pleasure spectrum (- to +)

3.1.2 Peace

• ‘Peace’ is:
• A. When the ‘feeling’ is at 0, (no +, no -).⁵³The default state is 0(not negative)
• B. When there are little fluctuations(conflicts) in feeling.⁵⁴In frequency & magnitude.
• On Peace

3.1.3 Delight & Suffering

• They are emotional feelings.
• The mind creates them using stories of the “(un)fulfillment of desires”.⁵⁵A physical pain can be interpreted into happiness or suffering.

3.1.4 Joy

• This is another form of feeling.
• ‘Joy’ is intrigue; the beauty of the moment.
• It’s an artistic interpretation of information.⁵⁶It’s tied to the “creative” part of ‘meaning’. (Not necessarily)

3.1.5 Meaning

• ‘Meaning’ is buying into the stories of life; something matters.
• ‘Meaningful’ events lead to ‘meaningful’ life; meaning in life is meaning of life.
• Significant events that happen to/for which that matter, are ‘meaningful’.⁵⁷Significant means it was creative/consequential.
• The overall sense of ‘meaning’ is on a ‘meaningless’–‘meaningful’ spectrum (0 to +).⁵⁸‘Meaningful’ means: A. Something matters a lot, and B. Much significant things happen to that something.

3.1.6 Contentment

• ‘Contentment’ is life satisfaction.
• Feeling + Meaning = Contentment⁵⁹Not a literal math equation.
• Reality – Expectation = Perceived Contentment
• The spectrum of ‘perceived contentment’ is ‘misery’–‘happiness’ (- to +).
• Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility applies.⁶⁰Repeated exposure “dulls” the misery/happiness.
• Loss Aversion applies.⁶¹Losing $10 gives more ‘misery’ than gaining $10 gives ‘happiness’.

3.1.7 Big Misery

• When contentment is (-), there’s less to live than to die.
• Depression is when life satisfaction is at its lowest.
  • A. Meaninglessness + a lot of pain, OR
  • B. Absurd level of pain (physical)

3.1.8 Primers

• ‘Primers’ are feeling-setups for an event.⁶²A ‘primer’ shifts the baseline emotional state towards a certain emotion.
• I have to be ‘primed’ for a feeling to experience it fully.
• ‘Primers’ are sensory inputs(music, scenery, etc.) AND/OR narratives(imagined deviations from expectations).
• Anxiety/Excitement is a sign of being narratively ‘primed’.⁶³Primed by the concepts.
• Fear/Confidence exists when there’s a perceived consequence(loss/gain).

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3.2 Intrigue

3.2.1 Intrigue

• Recap: Life is essentially about the ‘intrigue’, not ‘peace’.
  • Peace is nothing-ness;

3.2.2 What’s intriguing?

• The less probable it seems;
• The bigger contrast there is;
• The more creative it is;⁶⁴If anything will always be interesting, it’s creativity(problem-solving). “Something new” will always be interesting. If not, nothing else will.
• The more unique the journey is;
• The more real it feels;
• The more romantic it is.

3.2.3 2 Parts of Intrigue

• The significance of the event (in the storyline);
• The beauty of the experience.

3.2.4 In search of intrigue (opinion)

• A way to maximize (emotional) contrast is to maximize the suffering.
• However, it comes at the expense of happiness.
• Also, it’s unnecessary to create suffering, as the default human state is misery.
• Of all moments of misery, only 1 (the lowest) period of misery is relevant in the moment of happiness, in a given story.
• It’s preferable to maximize other variables.

3.2.5 In search of intrigue (opinion)

• I could try to make life more romantic by creating more romantic events.
• However, intentional romantic events aren’t as real; they’re acted out.
• Also, it shifts the focus away from the results(desires), interfering with the actual outcome.
• Romantic events happen by themselves in the path of true-desires, just unpredictably.

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4.1 Freedom

4.1.1 Freedom: Where I “Go”

• ‘Freedom’ is freedom from restraints.
• ‘Freedom’ is the prerequisite to boundless exploration.⁶⁵Restraints of the mind/body/materials/people hold me back from exploring freely.
• With ‘freedom’, my actions are externally autonomous.
• Without ‘freedom’, I might have creative places to go to but I can’t actually go anywhere.

4.1.2 More On

• A side effect of freedom is peace, as the return to baseline (level of feelings).⁶⁶By getting rid of things to suffer from.
• Freedom means I “don’t have to care”.
• Another side effect of freedom is energy.⁶⁷By not leaking them in unnecessary ways.

4.1.3 Freedom of Mind

• It’s about resolving traumas (of the past/future).
• Uncontrollable thoughts.
• (Not having pain thinking about anything)
• (And also, getting off the mind, and being in the present)
• Mind restraints & freedom

4.1.4 Freedom of Body

• It’s about fixing physical problems.
• (Not having pain moving the body)
• Body restraints & freedom

4.1.5 Financial Freedom

• It’s about developing a 0-maintenance cost.
• (Not having to worry about money)
• Financial restraints & freedom

4.1.6 Social Freedom

• (Not having/wanting to depend on anyone)
• Social restraints & freedom

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4.2 Independence

4.2.1 Unconscious Programming

• The unconscious functions (automatically) according to its ‘programming'(habits).
• As my unconscious is the main actor, the way it is ‘programmed’ determines how I think & act.
• Throughout my life, my unconscious has been ‘programmed’, by various motives.⁶⁸Often in ways I don’t even realize.
• It has to be ‘deprogrammed’, before ‘reprogramming’ it in the way I want.
• Talent + Programming → Outcome

4.2.2 General Deprogramming

• Body movements⁶⁹e.g. walking form, hand gestures, speaking tone, blinking frequency, etc.are habits—they can be deprogrammed.⁷⁰Or reprogrammed.
• Simple emotional responses⁷¹to stubbing toes, broken glasses, strangled earphones, etc.are habits—they can be deprogrammed.⁷²Or reprogrammed.
• Addiction is (primarily) a habit—it can be deprogrammed.⁷³Or reprogrammed.
• Every action that isn’t conscious is a matter of simple habits.⁷⁴If I can’t change my habits, I don’t have independence(ownership).
  • Unless it: A. Is physical, OR B. Requires escape/deconditioning

4.2.3 Equivalence

• The unconscious programming is in accordance with my ‘self-image’; they always try to match each other.
• For every experience⁷⁵interaction with reality, if there are mismatches: A. The program changes to fit the ‘self-image’, AND/OR B. The’ self-image’ changes to fit the programming.
• ‘Equivalence’ doesn’t happen if either part doesn’t exist: A. Some of my habits have nothing to do with my ‘self-image’. OR, B. Some pieces of ‘self-image’ have no corresponding actions/feedback.
• All major “habits”(behaviours) are connected to the ‘self-image’.

4.2.4 Self-Image

• It’s the collection of pieces that make me who I “think” I am:
• (My) Characteristics⁷⁶body, possessions, associations, knowledge, experiences, etc.+ What matters (to me)

4.2.5 Attachment

• ‘Attachments’ are the pieces of ‘self-image’ that I feel the need to protect (being closely tied to me).
• They resist change.⁷⁷Pieces need to be removed/added to modify the self-image; attachments refuse to be removed.
• They cause emotional volatility/vulnerability.⁷⁸By having more things to protect & be happy/sad about.
• However, ‘attachments’ are necessary to create actions.⁷⁹E.g. With no strong desire, why should I act?
• On Attachments

4.2.6 Independence: “Where” I Go

• ‘Independence’ is:

1. Independence from influences, by
2. Deprogramming the unconscious, by
3. Modifying the self-image, by
4. Disattaching from the (harmful, strong) attachments.

• Modifying The Self
• It’s reducing the self-image down to necessary.
• With ‘independence’, my actions are internally autonomous; ‘Independence’ is free will.
• Without ‘independence’, I could go anywhere but wherever I end up going won’t be creative.

4.2.7 More On

• A side effect of independence is peace, as the reduction in fluctuations.⁸⁰By getting rid of things to react to.
• Another side effect of independence is an unbiased, no-filter view of reality.⁸¹By removing distortions of attachments.

4.2.8 Escape

• ‘Escape’ is the escape from the ‘ego’.
• The ‘ego’ is an internal demon that craves status.⁸²It’s the product of a strong sense of self.
• A lot of attachments stem from the ‘ego’.

4.2.9 Deconditioning

• ‘Deconditioning’ is deconditioning from society’s conditioning.
• A lot of attachments are ‘conditioned’ by the society⁸³other people, by: A. Me subconsciously adopting others’ attachments, AND/OR B. Others deliberately ‘conditioning’ me into attachments.
• The main theme of these attachments: goodness.
• ‘Deconditioning’ is about rejecting social conditioning.
• On Conditioning

4.2.10 Sacrifice

• It’s a combination of time spent & pain(suffering).
• A lot of attachments come from ‘sacrifices’.
• They are sunk costs.

4.2.11 True-Self

• Once, I remove all the attachments, particularly from the 3 sources, I’m left with my ‘true-self’.
• Pieces of my ‘true-self’ are the parts of me that:
  • A. I can’t change, AND/OR
  • B. Are unique to me.
• They are: natural interests & talents & desires.
  • The only true-desires: peace/autonomy/intrigue.
• Attachments are explainable, and once understood, naturally go away.
• Then, I’m down to the unexplainable: the pieces of my ‘true-self’.

4.2.12 On a side note

• Reprogramming the self-image leads to a new self; it’s creating a new character that I will direct in making a new story(chapter).
• I don’t want to create a movie with too many themes.
• I don’t want to create a character with too many unnecessary details.

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4.3 Ownership

4.3.1 Ownership: “Where I Go”

• ‘Ownership’ is the complete ownership of the self.
• (The movements of the body, thoughts of the mind, emotions of the heart, pathway of life, etc.)
• ‘Ownership’ is Complete Free Will
• ‘Ownership’ is attained via freedom & independence.

4.3.2 Potential, Peace, and Journey

1. Once I completely ‘own’ myself, I have access to my full potential.⁸⁴There are no limitations left within.
2. Once I completely ‘own’ myself, I have peace.⁸⁵Nothing involuntarily affects my feelings.
3. With ‘ownership’⁸⁶peace & potential, every experience⁸⁷even the negativeis voluntary and enjoyable.⁸⁸In the macro, under the umbrella of a story.

4.3.3 Self-awareness

• ‘Self-awareness’ is an absolute necessity; ownership is impossible without ‘self-awareness’.⁸⁹Understanding opens the path towards ownership.
• The deeper the ‘self-awareness’, the more robust it is.
• It’s a product of self-examination.
  • Self-examination is a process of discovering⁹⁰not creatingknowledge within the self.

4.4.4 Clarity

• ‘Clarity’ is a byproduct of self-awareness.
• I know who I am;⁹¹What I want, What I have, etc. I know what I’m doing; I know why; I know how.
• It directly leads to potential & peace by:

1. Having an ultra-clear, concentrated desire (knowing what I want), AND
2. Having awareness of the present (knowing what I’m doing).

• Confusion, on the other hand, leads to paralysis/anxiety.

4.4.5 Towards Ownership

• All pillars of ownership⁹²financial freedom, escape, etc.are connected to each other; improving one leads to another; the concepts overlap.

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5.1 Morality (Individual)

5.1.1 Good or Bad

• Good/Bad ≈ Desirable/Undesirable
• Something is as good as it fulfills desires.
• ∴ Morality is essentially a personal preference.

5.1.2 What Morality is About

• Morality isn’t only about me; it’s about the interactions between entities.⁹³Morality doesn’t exist with 1 entity.
• Specifically, it’s about fulfilling the desires of those that matter.

5.1.3 Who Matters

• Absolutely: No entity, other than me, matters.⁹⁴First, the nature of their experiences is unclear.⁹⁵Second, their existence is unclear.⁹⁶Third, there’s no absolute reason anyway; it’s a narrative concept.
• Essentially, “who matters” is a preference; all standards of selection are arbitrary.

5.1.4 Association

• One major (historical) standard is association.⁹⁷Family, friends, colleagues, etc.
• The tighter the association, the more they matter.
• It’s tightly linked to meaning⁹⁸goals, purposes.

5.1.5 Sympathy

• One major standard is sympathy.
• Sympathy is a projection of experience.

5.1.6 Selfishness

• Morality is ultimately selfish; selfish acts are moral.
• Acting for the associated is acting for myself.⁹⁹Since I regard them as the extension of myself.
• Acting in sympathy is acting for myself.¹⁰⁰Because I’m trying to feel good.

5.1.7 Levels of Experience

• There are distinct ‘levels of experience'(consciousness):

1. Unconscious (No experience)
2. Conscious
   1. No Self(-Awareness)
   2. Self
      1. No Free Will (Autonomy)
      2. Free Will

• The levels are arbitrary; some have the potential to be at the next level.
• However, it’s sensical (narratively) because it makes distinctions in the desires & who matters.

5.1.8 Ultimate(ly Preferable) Desires

• Desires come from what matters.
• Nothing ‘absolutely’ matters; nothing “must” matter. But things do matter.
• What does matter depends on the ‘level of experience’:
  • Unconscious → Nothing matters.
  • Conscious → Pleasure matters.
  • Conscious & Self → Peace(Pleasure) & Purpose matters.
  • Conscious & Self & Free-Will → Intrigue(Purpose) matters.
• Fulfilling that which matters is the ultimate good, and that depends on the ‘level of experience’ of an entity.

5.1.9 Prioritized Entities

• Reality is a simulation; it (most certainly) exists for entertainment. HENCE,

1. ↑ Level(of consciousness)¹⁰¹I’d rather experience being a human than a fly (because the experience is “fuller”) = ↑ Likelihood of a soul (experiencing the entity)¹⁰²The experience of being an ant (probably) exists. However, there (probably) isn’t a ‘soul’ experiencing it.AND,
2. In the case where someone “voluntarily” experiences the lower-level entity, “doing good” destroys the intended experience.¹⁰³Part of “the deer experience” is being chased by the predators. THEREFORE,
3. I have a strong justification to prefer optimizing for the highest-level entities: fellow humans.

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5.2 Ethics (Society)

5.2.1 Society

• Society is a group of people formed around a particular concept(s): lineage/geography/idea/etc.
• Society ⇋ Association¹⁰⁴Society leads to association, association leads to society.
• Societies create synergetic benefits by scaling: markets/protection/etc.
• There are many societies.

5.2.2 Ethics

• Society is essentially collectivist(groupist).¹⁰⁵It’s found upon associations: attachments: people being part of each others’ identities.

5.2.3 Utilitarianism

• For a society, at its largest scale¹⁰⁶including every entity, at the most general level: The lowest common denominator for desire is pleasure.
• ∴ Maximizing pleasure, as a whole…is the basic answer.
• However, most humans:
  • A. Don’t have free will. AND,
  • B. Have the potential for the “higher level of experience”.
• ∴ The ultimate good for a person is: A. Ownership, then B. Intrigue.
• ∴ Society’s ultimate ideal is freedom (for as many as possible); excluding independence.¹⁰⁷It’s inherently impossible(perhaps undesirable) for a society to bring independence to its members.

5.2.4 Honor

• Honor is the society’s reward for ethical acts:

1. Adding value to society.
2. Self-sacrifice¹⁰⁸which strengthens association.

• Although, it’s based on the “perception” of ethical acts.¹⁰⁹Even if I did something ethical, if the public perceives the act as unethical, I get no honor.
• Honor makes me socially acceptable.¹¹⁰It’s synonymous with “likability”.
• The better I am to society, the better society is to me.
  • Caveat: In practice, honor¹¹¹reputationdepends on popularity¹¹²likability; (moral) sentiments across society.

5.2.5 Persecution

• What matters most to a society is the uniting concept (not the individuals).
  • ∵ Societies form around ideas.
  • Without the concept, it falls apart.
• ∴ In order to maintain itself, a society must cast out the heretics¹¹³because they weaken association.
• Heresies are socially unacceptable.

5.2.6 The Value of Ethics

• Unlike morality¹¹⁴which is a direct preference, ethics indirectly affect me.¹¹⁵My actions help others, others’ actions help me.
• The more ethical society is the better society to live in.

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5.3 In Practice

5.3.1 What’s Good, Literally

• Morality/ethics is embedded in daily life; it’s not necessarily about life & death.
• On a surface level, whatever you desire is morally good.¹¹⁶Beauty is a moral good, nice tasting food is a moral good, annoying music is a moral bad, etc.¹¹⁷Harm is whatever you don’t want, and is immoral (to you).
• On a surface level, whatever’s good for society(≈ other people) is ethically good.

5.3.2 On a Deeper Level

• What’s truly good: fulfilling true-desires (depending on the ‘level of experience’).

5.3.3 Morality Comes First

• Fundamentally, I don’t live for society.¹¹⁸The individual is only part of society so long as it benefits himself.

5.3.4 Justice

• Justice is the “fairness” between morality & ethics.¹¹⁹Justice is justification.
• It’s collective morality.
• It’s what maximizes the moral/ethical good.¹²⁰Both, if not, one. If one, with the least sacrifice of the other.
• Injustice creates conflict.

5.3.5 Consequentialism

• At the end of the day, all that matters is the outcome(=experience).
• Good/bad is a judgement of the outcome, not the process.¹²¹E.g. “Eating cake” isn’t (un)desirable; the “experience(mostly taste) of eating cake” is.¹²²E.g. “Killing” isn’t (un)desirable; the “loss of life(potential good)” is.
• No ‘action’ is good/bad, regardless of the outcome.¹²³If an action produced good results, it was good.

5.3.6 Deontology

• Deontology is a set of arbitrary standards used as substitutes for judgement.¹²⁴Hence, the standards of which actions are good/bad has changed.

5.3.7 Virtue

• Virtue is a pattern of behaviours that benefit others.¹²⁵Hence, it’s praised socially.
• It’s an extension of deontology.¹²⁶Virtuous acts are regarded as good, although they aren’t outcomes.
• Sympathy(caring about others) is particularly celebrated.

5.3.8 Solution to the Trolley Problem

Trolley Problem

1. If the 1 person matters to me, pull the lever;
2. If not, don’t pull the lever;
3. If 1 is human, and 5 are chickens, pull the lever;
4. If the chickens matter to me, don’t pull the lever;
5. If 1 is conscious, and 5 are unconscious (that can’t recover), pull the lever.

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5.4 Social Systems

5.4.1 Law

• Law is a set of social contracts that (seek to) actualize justice.
• It’s based on the mutual agreement across all members of the society: “I acknowledge (what matters to) you.”
• It’s an extension of deontology, via coercion; law forces a (minimum) level of ethics¹²⁷contributionupon members (of the society).¹²⁸Law is an authority people can rely on, without having to constantly figure out what is (not) ethical.
• Since deontology is arbitrary, laws are constantly modified.

5.4.2 Punishments

• Punishments are future-oriented acts of justice.¹²⁹On their own, they’re unethical; they cause suffering.
• They exist to minimize unethical acts by creating moral consequences for them.

5.4.3 The Fundamental Obligation

• If I’m to participate in a society, I’m obligated to be at least a net-neutral (to the society).¹³⁰In other words, give more than take.
• If the average member takes (more than gives), the system falls apart.¹³¹Society loses its purpose.
• It’s vital for a society to remove unethical entities.

5.4.4 Responsibility

• Responsibility is an extension of the fundamental obligation.
• Responsibility is the fundamental principle of reciprocation: “owning up to the consequences.”

5.4.5 Rights (& Welfare)

• ‘Rights’ are agreements: Every member of the society(group) “deserves” ‘x’, given ‘y’.
• Welfare(= Human Rights): Every member deserves ‘x’ just by being part of the society.¹³²On the flip side, it means: Every member must “contribute” ‘z’.
• In a democratic system, ‘x’ is determined by consensus.

5.4.6 Determining Justice

• Larger society → More general(unspecific) unifying concept → Weaker association with other members of the society; I care less → Morality aligns less with ethics → Looser society
• “I am, at the Fed level, libertarian; at the state level, Republican; at the local level, Democrat; and at the family and friends level, a socialist.”¹³³Not affiliated
• Thought: Looser societies require more force to keep themselves together.¹³⁴Like a powerful concept.
• ∴ They don’t function well with collectivist approaches¹³⁵also requiring more force.

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6.1 Rationality

6.1.1 What’s Rationality?

• Rationality is an approach to the processes/decisions that bring results.
  • In a given condition & desired outcome;
  • Via appropriate reasoning;
  • Through multiple levels of abstraction & contexts.¹³⁶Dimensions
• Rationality → Judgement¹³⁷Rational process leads to good judgements.

6.1.2 Circumstance Awareness

• Rationality isn’t “following the heart” nor “following the head”.
• Rationality is being aware; understanding; It’s the opposite of “blindly” following anything.¹³⁸This doesn’t mean “being realistic/idealistic”, which is irrational.
• It’s understanding “where am I” & “where I want to go”.

6.1.3 Reasoning Methods

• There are 2 ways to reason: A. Unconscious(Intuition), AND B. Conscious(Logic)
  • Emotion is circumstance/outcome, not intellect.
• They can be used independently/together–depending on the appropriateness.

6.1.4 Abstractions

• Abstractions
• Every circumstance has many levels of abstraction.¹³⁹E.g. I can look at the tree, or the forest, or the chlorophyll.
• Reduction vs. Abstraction

6.1.5 Contexts

• Every circumstance has multiple contexts; I can think about the same circumstance in multiple ways.¹⁴⁰E.g. A “failing company” isn’t just financially failing, but also politically/technologically failing.¹⁴¹E.g. A school isn’t just a place for education, but is also a place for daycare/propaganda/feeding/socialization.
• Many unsolved problems are framed in the wrong context.

6.1.6 Results

• The rationality of past decisions has to be evaluated based on the circumstance, not the outcome.[/mfn]“A mistake is not something to be determined after the fact, but in the light of the information until that point.”[/mfn]
• Although, fundamentally, rationality is about getting results.¹⁴²“Rational way” ≈ “the way that gets results”.
• If a process consistently brings no results, it’s not rational.

6.1.7 Knowledge of Irrationality

• Regardless of “if I process through multiple levels of abstractions & contexts”, if the intellect fails, it’s irrational.
• Knowledge of fallacies is useful for correcting faulty logic.
• Knowledge of biases is useful for correcting faulty intuitions.
• Contradictions of “things that used to be regarded as truths(correct)” are useful references of irrationality.

6.1.8 Essential Knowledge

• Knowledge is the basis of all processes.¹⁴³Information processing is impossible without information.¹⁴⁴Even intuition is based on knowledge.
• If I have a lot of essential knowledge, it’s easier to have rational processes.
• The more objective(=falsifiable) knowledge is more likely to be true.¹⁴⁵Politics promotes the exact opposite.
• Truth

6.1.9 Theory of Knowledge

• A solid theory of knowledge is an effective foundation for all knowledge.
• It’s a guide for discerning if a piece of knowledge is true/false.
• The Beginning of Infinity

6.1.10 Biases & Heuristics

• Biases & heuristics aren’t necessarily irrational; they (usually) trade results¹⁴⁶ideally insignificantfor efficiency¹⁴⁷saving a lot of time & energy¹⁴⁸which is another type of result.
  • Heuristics may even account for biases(irrational thinking).
• Biases & heuristics are evaluated by meta-reasoning.¹⁴⁹And that, if based on a solid theory of knowledge + essential knowledge, they’re better.

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6.2 Reasoning

6.2.1 Intuition

• ‘Intuition’ comes from the unconscious.
• It’s fast & creative; It doesn’t necessarily “make sense”.
• It’s often associated with emotions. It shouldn’t be.¹⁵⁰We often mistake emotions for intuitions.

6.2.2 Logic

• ‘Logic’ comes from the conscious.
• It’s slow & logical; It “makes sense”.¹⁵¹That’s the job.
• It’s generally closer to rationality.

6.2.3 Intuition vs. Logic

• ‘Intuition’ & ‘logic’ often collide.
• ∴ Rational judgement is necessary.
• With little time, intuition is the only option.
• With ample time, logic is significantly better, generally.¹⁵²If something can be determined by logic, intuition doesn’t matter.

6.2.4 Not Enough Logic

• People tend to rely heavily on intuition, which is irrational.¹⁵³It’s because logical reasoning is intellectually taxing; the conscious is much less powerful than the unconscious.
• The vast majority of decisions are better made with logic.
• Intuition is only more effective than logic at the edges of intellectual capacities: time shortage, OR knowledge shortage, OR vast complexity.

6.2.5 Intuition + Logic

• A person typically:

1. “Decides” by ‘intuition’, AND
2. “Justifies” by ‘logic’.

• However, adding reasons to an intuitive decision is faulty.
  • It’s motivated reasoning.
  • Logical reasoning is a means of criticism for an intuitive idea.

6.2.6 Intuitive Judgements

• When dealing with vast complexities,¹⁵⁴Everything except physics, more so humans/societies/etc.I have to use abstractions.¹⁵⁵E.g. I can’t try to solve cancer with particle physics; I have to use chemistry (probably).
• I can add intuition on top of reasoning.
• More complexity → More Nuance ≈ More judgement(intuition)¹⁵⁶Judgement is intuition + logic. If intuition is unneeded, there’s no need for judgement; it’s one way. (Computers have no judgement.)

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6.3 Meta-Reasoning

6.3.1 Meta-Reasoning

• Rationality comes from meta-reasoning.¹⁵⁷In order to employ the right way, I must figure out(=reason about) what doesn’t work.
• Meta-reasoning isn’t reasoning about the actual task, but reasoning about the processing(reasoning) about the task(s).
  • It’s not exactly “finding the best way”; it’s applying constant skepticism to every (seemingly) rational process.¹⁵⁸Reasoning has gaps; intuition is distorted by emotion; assumptions are false. Error-correction is absolutely necessary.
• It has a separate set of requirements:
  • Self-Awareness
  • Clarity
  • Anti-Dogma

6.3.2 Self-Awareness

• Self-Awareness
• With self-awareness, I can account for my strengths/weaknesses.

6.3.3 Clarity

• Clear Thinking
• If my head’s filled with junk, I can’t think straight.¹⁵⁹Reasoning based on flawed knowledge & gaps in logic produces false conclusions.¹⁶⁰Even intuition falters with a lot of untruths in the head.

6.3.4 Anti-Dogma

• The “rational approach” is essentially anti-dogma—being “open-minded”.
• It means questioning everything: “Why? So what? Is it?“¹⁶¹Including other “qualified” skeptics–peer-reviewed literature.

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7.1 Money(=Value)

7.1.1 What’s Money?

• Money is: A. Store of value, AND B. Medium of exchange.
• It satisfies the conditions much better than barter.
  • A: Added consistency & permanence
  • B: Added efficiency & portability
• Unlike assets, it doesn’t inherently have/produce value.¹⁶²Cash doesn’t catch fish; fishing rod does.
• Money-making is:

1. Creating something(service) of value, and
2. Exchanging it (with someone else) for money.

7.1.2 Money-value

• The money-value of something (to a given person) is whatever the person is willing to pay for it.
• Value = Fulfills desire(s)
• ∴ Money-value is a measure of desire.
• Hence, money-value is face-value¹⁶³fulfilling immediate desires, not intrinsic-value¹⁶⁴fulfilling ultimate desires.
• Just because you’re willing to pay 100 for ‘x’ doesn’t mean it makes your overall life 100 better.

7.1.3 Peace

• For (most) people, peace is the ultimate desire.
• The path to true-peace is ownership. However, most of ownership can’t be bought.
  • Independence can’t be bought; Freedom can be assisted.
• ∴ (Morally & Ethically) Providing freedom is the most valuable, applicable, service.¹⁶⁵For most people.

7.1.4 Intrigue(Entertainment)

• For those without peace, intrigue is only optional.
• For those with ownership, intrigue is the ultimate desire.¹⁶⁶The desire for intrigue grows with more peace.
• ∴ Providing intrigue is the most valuable service.¹⁶⁷Given: peace

7.1.5 Almost Unmeasurable: Time

• Morally:
  • “Life itself”¹⁶⁸survivalis worth ~∞.¹⁶⁹In my deathbed, I’m willing to pay $∞ to live another day.¹⁷⁰Given: it’s a positive experience; if life is net-negative, I’m willing to pay $∞ to die ASAP.¹⁷¹Enough pain is worth more than survival.
  • “Extra life”¹⁷²time isn’t worth ~∞, because paying for it comes at the cost of today(time).
  • Basically, my time is worth my timely(hourly) rate; my time is worth as much as the amount of value I can produce in that time.¹⁷³E.i. If I buy 5 life-hours for $5, but it takes >5 hours to make $5, it’s a losing deal.
  • However, with financial freedom, time is worth ~∞.¹⁷⁴I don’t need to recover the money spent.
• Ethically:
  • 1 life is worth as much as the cost to save 1 life. AND/OR,
  • A life is worth as much as it can contribute to the society.¹⁷⁵1 doctor (who can save more lives) is worth more than 1 teacher, ethically.

7.1.6 Ethics

• In the short-term: Cost(Expectations)¹⁷⁶A person pays by the expectations. – Value = Ethical-ness
• Wealth creation is ethical; wealth capture is unethical.
• Generally, a person will pay no less than the value of the service.
• ∴ Money-making is ethical.¹⁷⁷because it is net-giving
• Stealing money is moral NOT ethical.

7.1.7 Competition

• If a certain product(service) already exists, creating the same product doesn’t add as much value.

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