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Tag: principles

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Jul 30, 2025
acx
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12 min 1,783 words 1,201 comments 570 likes podcast (11 min)
Scott discusses how moral principles emerge from the relationship between emotional responses and rational consistency, using reactions to Gaza as a central example. Longer summary
Scott responds to three different arguments questioning the authenticity of moral principles and emotional responses, particularly around the Gaza conflict. He uses a personal story about his reaction to a tragic account from Gaza, contrasting his raw emotional response with the need for principled rational thinking. The post explains how genuine moral principles emerge from the interplay between emotional responses and rational consistency, arguing that while perfect consistency may be impossible, the effort to generalize our moral intuitions in a principled way is valuable and necessary. Shorter summary