A philosophical theory of jerks (with Eric Schwitzgebel)
In this episode, Spencer Greenberg speaks with Eric Schwitzgabel about the surprising lack of correlation between studying ethics and ethical behavior, his empirical research on ethicists, and his theory of "jerks" and how to identify and potentially mitigate jerkish tendencies in oneself.
Deep Dive Analysis
16 Topic Outline
Impact of Ethical Thinking on Behavior
Anecdotal Evidence for Ethical Shifts
Ethicists' Behavior Versus the General Population
Empirical Studies on Moral Behavior of Ethicists
The Toxic Rationalization View of Ethics
Hypocrisy and Intellectual Honesty in Moral Stances
Aiming for Moral Mediocrity
The Motivational Nature of Morality
Balancing Multiple Values and Ethical Action
Different Types and Motivational Impact of Belief
Defining a Jerk: Culpable Disregard for Others' Perspectives
Self-Assessing Jerkiness Using 'Jerk Goggles'
Categorizing Different Types of Jerks
Skepticism Towards Social Science Research
Challenges in Psychological Diagnosis and Treatment Efficacy
The Value of Adversarial Debates and Anecdotes
5 Key Concepts
Toxic Rationalization View of Ethics
This view suggests that studying ethics primarily provides individuals with the capacity to justify actions they already desire to do, potentially leading to rationalizations for morally questionable behavior rather than genuine ethical improvement.
Do-Gooder Derogation
This is a psychological phenomenon where people react negatively to others who appear 'too' morally excellent. This reaction can stem from feeling judged or threatened by the perceived moral superiority of others.
Aiming for Moral Mediocrity
This concept describes the common human tendency to strive not for absolute moral excellence, but rather to be approximately as morally good as one's peers, or perhaps slightly better, to maintain a positive self-image without making excessive sacrifices.
Dispositional View of Belief
This perspective posits that to truly believe something means to be disposed to act and react in the world as if that thing is true. It encompasses a complex mix of behavioral, cognitive, and experiential dispositions, rather than just intellectual assent.
Jerk Goggles
This describes a characteristic way of perceiving the world where an individual tends to view those around them as fools and tools, disregarding their unique perspectives, values, and individuality. It involves categorizing people in broad, often negative, social categories.
8 Questions Answered
Empirical evidence does not strongly support the idea that studying ethics significantly changes overall behavior, though anecdotal cases, such as adopting vegetarianism after reading philosophy, do exist.
Systematic studies indicate that professional ethicists generally do not behave significantly better than other academics of similar social backgrounds, and in some specific instances, like library book theft, they may even behave worse.
Ethicists often develop more demanding moral views through their studies, leading them to perceive more actions as morally imperfect, but their actual behavior may still align with the 'moral mediocrity' of their peers rather than absolute ethical standards.
Morality is considered inherently motivating in that one doesn't necessarily need a self-interested purpose to choose what is moral, but this motivation may not always be strong enough to override self-interest, especially if others are not making similar sacrifices.
A 'jerk' is defined as someone who culpably fails to appreciate the intellectual and emotional perspectives of others, treating them as mere fools or tools rather than as peers deserving of respect and authentic interaction.
One can self-assess by periodically asking if they are seeing the world through 'jerk goggles,' meaning if they are perceiving people as fools, tools, or negative social stereotypes, rather than recognizing their humanity, value, and individuality.
One should approach social science papers with a high degree of skepticism, actively looking for potential flaws, problems, or 'tricks' in the research design and conclusions, rather than assuming their trustworthiness.
Contradictory anecdotes can both be true within different contexts, teaching that opposite things can be valid in varying situations and providing rich, specific experiences that offer information when properly contextualized.
16 Actionable Insights
1. Check for “Jerk Goggles”
Periodically ask yourself if you are viewing others through “jerk goggles”—seeing them as fools or tools—and actively try to correct this perception to instead see their humanity, value, and individuality.
2. Strive for Ethical Alignment
Actively aim for ethical reflection and thought to improve your behavior and live up to your moral norms, rather than casually dismissing actions you know are ethical.
3. Bundle Valued Activities
Arrange your life to combine multiple values into a single action, such as exercising with your children, to achieve more of what you care about efficiently.
4. Align Ethics with Enjoyment
To sustain ethical behavior, find ways to bundle doing good with activities that make you feel good, as making ethical actions unpleasant will likely lead to doing them less often.
5. Choose Honesty Over Rationalization
If you fail to meet a moral standard, it’s better to acknowledge the stringent norm than to rationalize your behavior with excuses and bad arguments, demonstrating intellectual honesty.
6. Recognize Capacity for Sacrifice
Remember that you have the capacity to undertake highly unpleasant actions that would yield significant positive impacts, even if you choose not to.
7. Self-Assess Jerkish Tendencies
Asking yourself “Am I being a jerk?” is a sign that you are likely not a pure jerk, as a true jerk would not even consider the possibility.
8. Read Papers Skeptically
When reading scientific papers or studies, adopt a skeptical mindset, actively looking for flaws and problems rather than trusting the conclusions immediately.
9. Engage with Adversarial Debates
To gain deeper understanding, read different arguments and debates on a topic, as learning from adversarial exchanges often provides more insight than a single paper or literature review.
10. Promote Adversarial Collaborations
Actively seek or engage in adversarial collaborations where individuals with differing viewpoints work together on a paper or study to identify points of agreement and disagreement.
11. Assess Anecdotes Contextually
When evaluating anecdotes, consider their specific context and your trust in the source on that particular issue, as anecdotes divorced from context carry less reliable information.
12. Contextualize Contradictory Wisdom
Recognize that contradictory proverbs and anecdotes often reflect reality’s complexity, indicating that different truths apply in different contexts rather than a single universal truth.
13. Define “Jerk” Behavior
A “jerk” culpably fails to appreciate others’ intellectual and emotional perspectives, treating them as fools or tools rather than respecting them as peers and equals.
14. Increase Ethical Salience
Engage in prolonged philosophical thinking about ethical questions to make ethical choices more salient in your daily life, potentially influencing your behavior.
15. Avoid Do-Gooder Derogation
Be aware that conspicuous moral excellence can sometimes threaten others, leading to a phenomenon psychologists call “do-gooder derogation.”
16. Practice Spontaneous Discussion
Engage in conversations with minimal pre-preparation, focusing only on knowing the general topics and the guest’s rough views, allowing for more natural and spontaneous discussion.
8 Key Quotes
What matters is not whether the animal can reason, but whether the animal can suffer.
Eric Schwitzgebel (quoting Jeremy Bentham)
I'd rather, I think, have a hypocrite than a rationalizer.
Eric Schwitzgebel
Most of us aim not to be morally excellent by absolute standards, really, but rather to be about as morally good as our peers, or maybe a little morally better.
Eric Schwitzgebel
The jerk tends to see the world as full of people who don't deserve much attention or concern, right? They see themselves as surrounded by fools and tools.
Eric Schwitzgebel
The opposite of the jerk... is a sweetheart, right? Someone who is maybe painfully aware of how she might be wrong.
Eric Schwitzgebel
I go in with, this is probably fake. What's wrong with it? What are the main levels of problems with this thing? I don't go in trusting something. I'm very suspicious.
Eric Schwitzgebel
My favorite ones that make me the happiest are the absolute worst ones that are just ridiculous.
Eric Schwitzgebel
Proverbs, comma, in mutually contradictory forms.
Eric Schwitzgebel
1 Protocols
Self-Assessment for Jerkitude (Using Jerk Goggles)
Eric Schwitzgebel- Once in a while, especially when around other people, ask yourself: 'Am I seeing the world through jerk goggles?'
- Reflect on whether you are seeing the people around you as fools and tools, as idiots, or as people blind to broad negative social categories.
- Alternatively, consider if you are seeing the humanity, value, and individuality in the people around you.
- Notice when you are perceiving people in the first, negative way, and consciously try to correct your perspective.