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  Benjamin Davies addressed criticism #4373.

denies human creativity

No, they’re still creative, and they could overcome the addiction if they knew how, but their creativity is being severely limited.

#4373·Dennis Hackethal, about 4 hours ago

It is not the business of the government to prevent people from severely limiting their own creativity.

  Dennis Hackethal addressed criticism #4371.

Getting customers addicted making it "so they cannot exercise their free will" denies human creativity, and opens the door for all sorts of draconic laws where people are "protected from themselves".

#4371·Dirk Meulenbelt, about 7 hours ago

denies human creativity

No, they’re still creative, and they could overcome the addiction if they knew how, but their creativity is being severely limited.

  Dirk Meulenbelt submitted idea #4372.

Explanatory knowledge consists of statements. Statements are at least in part explicit. Therefore inexplicit explanatory knowledge is not possible.

Entirely explicit explanatory knowledge is not possible either, as all knowledge refers to other knowledge implicitly.

  Dirk Meulenbelt addressed criticism #4359.

Not all cases of wanting more of something are cases of addiction.

I want to buy a second chair because I enjoy the first one, not because I cannot help but buy another.

Getting customers addicted means making it so they cannot exercise their free will (or have serious trouble doing so). They’re effectively unable to criticize ‘buy another’ as a course of action.

#4359·Dennis Hackethal, about 21 hours ago

Getting customers addicted making it "so they cannot exercise their free will" denies human creativity, and opens the door for all sorts of draconic laws where people are "protected from themselves".

  Dennis Hackethal addressed criticism #4369.

According to Popper (ibid), opponents of world 3 “usually say that all these entities are, essentially, symbolic or linguistic expressions of subjective mental states”, that they’re merely, “means of communication…”

#4369·Dennis Hackethal, about 19 hours ago

Popper counters this criticism with two thought experiments (107-108).

First, if all our machines and tools were destroyed, and so were our subjective knowledge of how to use them, but libraries were not, then we could re-learn to use them by reading books.

Second, if all libraries were also destroyed, we couldn’t re-learn from books. Civilization wouldn’t re-emerge for millennia.

Therefore, Popper argues, world 3 is important and real.

  Dennis Hackethal criticized idea #4368.

Popper says there are three worlds (OK 107):

I suggest…that there are physical worlds and a world of states of consciousness, and that these two interact. And I believe that there is a third world…
Among the inmates of my ‘third world’ are, more especially, theoretical systems; but inmates just as important are problems and problem situations. And I will argue that the most important inmates of this world are critical arguments, and what may be called—in analogy to a physical state or to a state of conscious- ness—the state of a discussion or the state of a critical argument; and, of course, the contents of journals, books, and libraries.

#4368·Dennis Hackethal, about 19 hours ago

According to Popper (ibid), opponents of world 3 “usually say that all these entities are, essentially, symbolic or linguistic expressions of subjective mental states”, that they’re merely, “means of communication…”

  Dennis Hackethal submitted idea #4368.

Popper says there are three worlds (OK 107):

I suggest…that there are physical worlds and a world of states of consciousness, and that these two interact. And I believe that there is a third world…
Among the inmates of my ‘third world’ are, more especially, theoretical systems; but inmates just as important are problems and problem situations. And I will argue that the most important inmates of this world are critical arguments, and what may be called—in analogy to a physical state or to a state of conscious- ness—the state of a discussion or the state of a critical argument; and, of course, the contents of journals, books, and libraries.

  Dennis Hackethal submitted idea #4367.

Key source on this topic: Karl Popper, Objective Knowledge: An Evolutionary Approach.

My specific edition is from 1994, Oxford University Press, New York. I’ll simply call it OK in this discussion.

  Dennis Hackethal revised idea #4364.

Rules for Participation

Veritula welcomes a wide range of discussion topics. Generally speaking, people have free speech here. Unpopular topics will not automatically get people banned. The goal of moderation is to preserve productive, truth-seeking discussion.

Behavior that is intended, or likely, to sabotage debate or prevent progress is a bannable offense. Such behavior includes, but is not limited to, harassment, brigading, rage baiting, public shaming, and persistent bad-faith argumentation or refusal to engage substantively.

Veritula takes intellectual property seriously and reserves the right to take down content that infringes on others’ intellectual property.

Veritula also reserves the right to take down obscene content such as pornography.

Serious instances of off-platform behavior that clearly would have violated these rules on-platform may result in removal.

Depending on the severity of an infraction, moderators may issue a warning, temporarily lock an account, or permanently ban the account.

Looking for loopholes in these rules, or abusing the letter to violate the spirit of these rules, is a bannable offense.

Moderation decisions are at the discretion of Veritula.

Users may appeal moderation decisions by contacting the moderators within a reasonable time after a decision. Appeals should explain why the decision was wrong. Appeals are reviewed at the moderators’ discretion. The same decision may be appealed only once.

Talks with moderators should remain respectful and constructive. Changes to these rules should be proposed before issues arise.

Rules for Participation

Veritula welcomes a wide range of discussion topics. Generally speaking, people have free speech here. Unpopular topics will not automatically get people banned. The goal of moderation is to preserve productive, truth-seeking discussion.

Behavior that is intended, or likely, to sabotage debate or prevent progress is a bannable offense. Such behavior includes, but is not limited to, harassment, brigading, rage baiting, public shaming, and persistent bad-faith argumentation or refusal to engage substantively.

Veritula takes intellectual property seriously and reserves the right to take down content that infringes on others’ intellectual property.

Veritula also reserves the right to take down obscene content such as pornography.

Serious instances of off-platform behavior that clearly would have violated these rules on-platform may result in removal.

Depending on the severity of an infraction, moderators may issue a warning, temporarily lock an account, or permanently ban the account.

Looking for loopholes in these rules, or abusing the letter to violate the spirit of these rules, is a bannable offense.

Moderation decisions are at the discretion of Veritula.

Users may appeal moderation decisions by contacting the moderators within a reasonable time after a decision. Appeals should explain why the decision was wrong. Appeals are reviewed at the moderators’ discretion. The same decision may be appealed only once.

Talks with moderators should remain respectful and constructive. Changes to these rules should be proposed before issues arise by criticizing this idea.

  Dennis Hackethal submitted idea #4364.

Rules for Participation

Veritula welcomes a wide range of discussion topics. Generally speaking, people have free speech here. Unpopular topics will not automatically get people banned. The goal of moderation is to preserve productive, truth-seeking discussion.

Behavior that is intended, or likely, to sabotage debate or prevent progress is a bannable offense. Such behavior includes, but is not limited to, harassment, brigading, rage baiting, public shaming, and persistent bad-faith argumentation or refusal to engage substantively.

Veritula takes intellectual property seriously and reserves the right to take down content that infringes on others’ intellectual property.

Veritula also reserves the right to take down obscene content such as pornography.

Serious instances of off-platform behavior that clearly would have violated these rules on-platform may result in removal.

Depending on the severity of an infraction, moderators may issue a warning, temporarily lock an account, or permanently ban the account.

Looking for loopholes in these rules, or abusing the letter to violate the spirit of these rules, is a bannable offense.

Moderation decisions are at the discretion of Veritula.

Users may appeal moderation decisions by contacting the moderators within a reasonable time after a decision. Appeals should explain why the decision was wrong. Appeals are reviewed at the moderators’ discretion. The same decision may be appealed only once.

Talks with moderators should remain respectful and constructive. Changes to these rules should be proposed before issues arise.

  Dennis Hackethal revised idea #4360.

Fix typo


Drugs are currently illegal. Athough drug-related deaths have gone down recently, in the US, they were at an all-time high.

Drugs being illegal does not seem to deter drug use enough to warrant taking away drug users’ legal recourse, proper testing, and other such benefits of (legal) drug use.

Drugs are currently illegal. Although drug-related deaths have gone down recently, in the US, they were at an all-time high.

Drugs being illegal does not seem to deter drug use enough to warrant taking away drug users’ legal recourse, proper testing, and other such benefits of (legal) drug use.

  Dennis Hackethal revised idea #4343.

Drugs are currently illegal, and though drug-related deaths have gone down recently, in the US, they were at an all time high. Drugs being illegal does not seem to deter drug use enough, to off-set drug user's ability to use legal recourse, proper testing, and other such benefits of (legal) society.

Drugs are currently illegal. Athough drug-related deaths have gone down recently, in the US, they were at an all-time high.

Drugs being illegal does not seem to deter drug use enough to warrant taking away drug users’ legal recourse, proper testing, and other such benefits of (legal) drug use.

  Dennis Hackethal addressed criticism #4341.

Subjectively applies to every good product that makes its purchasers want to buy more of it. Like good food, video games, comfortable chairs.

#4341·Dirk Meulenbelt, 2 days ago

Not all cases of wanting more of something are cases of addiction.

I want to buy a second chair because I enjoy the first one, not because I cannot help but buy another.

Getting customers addicted means making it so they cannot exercise their free will (or have serious trouble doing so). They’re effectively unable to criticize ‘buy another’ as a course of action.

  Tyler Mills addressed criticism #2666.

‘Veritula’ is a difficult name, people don’t know how to spell or pronounce it. They can’t easily remember it.

#2666·Dennis HackethalOP revised 4 months ago

There's something to be said for a degree of complexity and novelty to a name. It lends air of thoughtfulness, and could spark curiosity in potential new users.

  Tyler Mills commented on criticism #4356.

'Veritula' is not a difficult name as compared to other highly successful explanatory enterprises, like 'Veritasium.'

#4356·Tyler Mills, about 23 hours ago

See also: "Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell", the highly successful educational YT channel. I know people who are big fans, and yet can't pronounce the name correctly.

  Tyler Mills addressed criticism #2666.

‘Veritula’ is a difficult name, people don’t know how to spell or pronounce it. They can’t easily remember it.

#2666·Dennis HackethalOP revised 4 months ago

'Veritula' is not a difficult name as compared to other highly successful explanatory enterprises, like 'Veritasium.'

  Dennis Hackethal addressed criticism #2665.

‘Renaissance’ isn’t exactly easy to spell either.

#2665·Dennis HackethalOP, 4 months ago

Easier than ‘Veritula’, though. At least it’s a known word.

  Dennis Hackethal archived idea #1865 along with any revisions.
  Dennis Hackethal addressed criticism #2962.

The red ‘Criticized’ label shows how many pending criticisms an idea has. For example ‘Criticized (5)’ means the idea has five pending criticisms.

But if there are lots of comments, including non-criticisms and addressed criticisms, it’s hard to identify pending criticisms.

There should be an easy way to filter comments of a given idea down to only pending criticisms.

#2962·Dennis HackethalOP revised 4 months ago

As of 8e0a6e1, comments on each idea are shown in the following order: criticisms first, regular comments last. Within each category, uncontroversial comments are shown first. Lastly, comments are sorted by creation date (ascending).

  Dennis Hackethal criticized idea #1876.

There could be a separate button to filter comments down.

#1876·Dennis HackethalOP, 5 months ago

Not as simple as #4349.

  Dennis Hackethal criticized idea #1869.

The red ‘Criticized’ label could be clickable and filter the displayed comments ‘in place’.

#1869·Dennis HackethalOP, 5 months ago

Not as simple as #4349.

  Dennis Hackethal criticized idea #1867.

The red ‘Criticized’ label could be a link leading to a filtered version of ideas#show.

#1867·Dennis HackethalOP revised 5 months ago

Not as simple as #4349.

  Dennis Hackethal archived idea #4274 along with any revisions.
  Dennis Hackethal criticized idea #4274.

Should comments be sorted by controversial/uncontroversial first, date second?

#4274·Dennis HackethalOP, 14 days ago

More or less a duplicate of #4349.

  Dennis Hackethal commented on criticism #2962.

The red ‘Criticized’ label shows how many pending criticisms an idea has. For example ‘Criticized (5)’ means the idea has five pending criticisms.

But if there are lots of comments, including non-criticisms and addressed criticisms, it’s hard to identify pending criticisms.

There should be an easy way to filter comments of a given idea down to only pending criticisms.

#2962·Dennis HackethalOP revised 4 months ago

Could simply sort comments by pending criticism first, creation date second. (Variation of #4274.)