~ / Blog / rational-pragmatist-ethos

# Truth as Resistance: A Rational Pragmatist Ethos

+:-:**+++,`,+--,+::**`-:-.-*:++,,-:++*+++*+:,::****++***********++::*-***++**************:***++*******-:`*,`....++-::::-,,+++,:.
,:+++*:*:``-*-.::++*+`,+:-.--:-:+::::++***:,-+-+++:++**************+:::**:++*************++++*********+:-,-,,---`--*-:+:,.:*,..+
+***+-:+..,+-.,-,-,,-.-++:...--,+*++::+*:.-:+,+*********+**+*****+****::+:****************:+******+***+-+.,:,,+*-`**-**-+....--:
+++::+:-.`--`.-:+--.-..-----.,*--***+,:,,**:--+***+*+**++++******+*****++:-++++************:***+++:***+:+-.:+-,:-,,*-*-,.,,---++
-++-*+:-`...+*::+,,,*,.----.--,*,:**+``+++:,-+***+-+:+:+***+**++*********++--:*************:*****+:****:-+--*+--+-...``-.,-*::**
.-::-:-.`,:,+:::,,--++`-+:,.::,.:`-+,-::*+-:+-++::-:++++++:+++++************+::+***********:*****+:****+:,:.-:.+--:```..`--..,,,
``--,.``,-,.::+:++--::.:+:,:+--````.::++-,,::*+:---+:::+++*+***********++++++::::**********-****+:*****+*:,.`-.+:-`````-++*+,:+*
:..````.*++:,,:::::,,,.:+-,*+:+-``--,.,,-----.-.:+:+++******+******************+:-+********:***:+++**++***+.. `,*` `.`-*****-++-
--```` `--+-.,,--+::-,.,:.-::-:-``,.,.,,,.,:::--:+***:**************+************+--+*****:**+*-+++**++**+-::-.`.  `,-****+*:.,:
:-..,``,*++:,+:,****:+.```.,-+:,........--:-::+-::**:++**********+++***********++**+-,-+*+:*+*-::**+*+**:-***-.````,:*****-,-+**
--,,,`..:+*+.:++:+**,*-.`...`. ..``-:--:******+-:,--+++***+++++++***************++*****:--,+++-+:***:**--+*+-.````-:***:,,,++**:
--,-.```-+++,*++++:+....----,,.,,.--:::::+::--:--:+++++++++***********************+++***++:,---**+++**,++::+:``  `::-,,-+:**++-.
:.,::`.`,**+`++**+,`.,-*:++*:::```-*****:-::++++************************************++++++-:-..-*:***,::+**:-.`` `,`,--:,++:,,-+
:,,.-````+*,-+*-.`..-*,*-:++-:%.``.:*+*,-+++:********++*************************+*********::+**:,,:+,-******: `` :**--:*-+--:,`:
-:,.,,.` .-.--.````---.,,:+::*+..`.*+::+*:++:::+*****+******+******::***********+:*********+*****-,`,++++++**:.``,*-:+-,`.,:+-**
*:,.:.`,```````..,:**+-,:--.,--,..,:,-::+:++:+++:++::+++++++`...**-+************+:+++++++++:+:::+++:-.:*******:```.,,.`,:-++,:++
**,,--`...``.-**+++**:+.,++*++:...,.-+:+::*+:+******++****+,```.-:*******************************+:---.---::-.` ```:,---::-,.,--
:-.,,-` ```,:,***+***+:.*-++:+:`..-:-,-,-,-*+:*****+::***.``````.******************************+++++--,.,..,-+*-``.,+*:+**-`-+++
-...,:,``.`,+-+***+***:-*+,+::``..::+:-:-:+::-**++:+++**+``    `,*****++**********************:+**++++:--:::-,.,.``-+*:+:.`-+*--
-+*:...````-*+++**+++*,-*+:-,:`.`.---:-++++:,:+*++*+******. ``.-******+************************+:-+**++****+***+,.``..``` ,,```.
*+**+-+.```,**:*:::++-.-::+,:.```,::++++++::+::++*++:::---:+**++++::::+:+*********************+:****************+```````  ,:****
**++::*.```.-:+::-:,+:.+:::,-,,,`********-+***+-,,,-:+*++**+*********:::+++*****************++*******************.``` .+,:.:***.
***+-+:`````:+.:---,,:.:,:,.`.``.::+++++--:-----:++,--::-::+*++****+-:+*++****************++******************+++,`  .+-*+*,-:, 
***++:.`````::-.++::-,.+,:::,,.``:::::-.,-+*:,-:-,,-:+***+*+++***+::**:***++**************:**+****************+**:```,:+*+++., `
*****++-````--:,:*+*:`-::++--:..`,....-+-,--,:--++-*+**++:**:++::++***:*******************+**:****************+++-```-+***,:-- .
*****++-`.``:--+,-++.-:,+*-:+-..```.-:*-,-:-,:*+::++*****:+:--++*+:+++*********************+*:*******************,`.`-*++--*,  `
+++++:::`.``:,,-.:,-.++,--:+,.```+++-,---,,,:+::+**:-::++--:++++:-:+******+:**************++**:*****:************+...:**:.-.  .-
*******:````.,.,-:-`++--,:---`.`,-:-+-`,::*.:+:+*:-,,--,,-:++++++******+++****************+:**+:***:************+-..`-:.````-+:+
+***+++:`..```....,.,,,.`.,-..``+,*:,,+*++:`-.,,-+++,-::::+++*********+:**************+***:+***+:+*:****+:---:::....`.```-+,-:*:
+++++-*.``````.-,.,-,--,.,.`....::--****+--.,,:::--,+++:-,+***+*****++:+***+++*********+:+-+******+:+*****:++*:`````.` .,:--+---
++++:+:``````.,:-,.--*-,+**`...`,.`:--,,:+-,,+-.,-,,-,:*::*+:****++:++*++++++*********++*+.+******-+*+:-,,,,-:,```.. ,-::,,,.,,-
***-::..`````.,.-::-+:,+**,`..,...``,+:::-,,,,`.,,::-,-,,:,,:-::++::-:++****+***********++-:****::-***+**::*+,.,`.,` ```.,,,+**+
**+-**:.`.```,,..---,-***,``.`.... .`,,.-,,`.,-,-::+:*+*+-::++++:::++++:+++++*************-,*+++*:+********+--+,..`    `,.,,.`..
***:+*::...``,,:,.-,-**.````.`````,-,``.,,.,::--+*+++**+++---+++++*+**++**++-+************:`:****++********+,.`..`  `--+:,.-,,`.
:***:-,-`````-:**-..---...`````.`,-:-*+`.-,,:+--**++*+:::++:,::+++:**+:+++**+-+**+*******+: +-:**+-+:::++,``,..`  ,++++***+::+:,
:--:++.*,``.`:*+*+,:-..``` ``,-.,::*+++*`  `.--:-:++*:,::-,,-,-:++**+.-+-****:+-++******++*.++-:+:,,-***.``.`````,::********+,--
++::-.,::````,*+-:+,::```` ,**::,**+*****``+,....,-++.`,.-++:+.--**::-:+*+**::++-::****++**:....,.:*++*.`````   -***:--:+***+:**

We uphold the norms and institutions of truth, morality, law, respect, science, democracy, solidarity, and critical thinking, committed to creating a more just, equitable, and compassionate world for all. This puts us in direct opposition to an administration that repeatedly undermines these fundamental democratic values through lies, corruption, and attacks on our institutions.

Truth

• We believe in truth. We refuse to live in a post-truth world.
• We believe in telling and hearing the truth.
• We believe that truth is not relative. Truth is absolute. Truth is not reducible to power grabs.
• We will not be distracted from the regulative ideal of truth by misinformation, disinformation, "he said she said", or repetition of lies.
• We believe Impartial fact-checking is possible, valuable and necessary in our modern information landscape.
• We believe that the idea "in the free marketplace of ideas truth will rise to the top" is dubious and perhaps only true as the number of speech acts approaches infinity in some unrealistic abstraction. This idea is misleading at best and an invitation for misinformation and autocratic influence. There is a balance between curiosity and finitude here.

Morality

• We believe that we ought to collectively maximize our welfare as rational and sentient beings.
• We believe in acting morally and striving to be the best humans we can be for ourselves and others.
• We believe in moral progress.
• We believe in making the world as good a place as we can for ALL, but especially for the worst-off.
• We take responsibility for our actions, own up to our mistakes, and reject the culture of blame, denial, and unaccountability that enables authoritarian leadership.

Respect & Solidarity

• We believe in respecting all people regardless of their race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or cultural background.
• We recognize that respect is not passive tolerance but active recognition of each person's inherent worth and potential.
• We stand against all forms of systemic oppression, discrimination, and marginalization.
• We affirm that democracy provides the most inclusive path to mutual understanding, protecting the best moral outcomes for all through collective decision-making, dialogue, and shared commitment to human dignity.
• We believe in respecting the collective norms and institutions that protect human dignity, individual rights, and democratic processes.
• We will never surrender our democratic principles to authoritarian impulses, brainwashing, attempted coups, or efforts to undermine free and fair elections.

Reason

• We believe in evaluating ideas based on the best reasoning available to support them.
• We believe in reason over myth, superstition, ego, greed, narcissism, "vibes", willful ignorance, and cult of personality.
• We reject political tribalism, demagoguery, fear-mongering, scapegoating, and the manipulation of emotion for personal or political gain.
• We do not accept "secret genius" or hidden conspiracy theories as justifications for political action. We demand good reasons.
• Whether we are secular or religious, we are fallibilists. We believe in assessing all claims in light of reason and new evidence.

Science

• We believe in rationally updating our beliefs based on experience.
• We believe in science, that it is our best authority on empirical knowledge.
• We believe in expertise, that it is possible and necessary.
• We believe in learning the lessons of history.
• We will not let propaganda, motivated reasoning, or wishful thinking threaten the fruits of our collective intellectual labor.
• We do not believe in rejecting the best-held findings of science merely because they are inconvenient to us.
• We reject the dangerous practice of dismissing scientific consensus when it challenges political narratives or threatens vested economic interests, recognizing that expertise and empirical evidence are not subject to personal opinion or political convenience.

The firehose of falsehoods and absurdities so often used in autocratic regimes is intended to promote a kind of nihilism. Being rational, moral and truth-seeking, means having values that likely oppose authoritarianism, so the fire-hose of BS attempts to extinguish them. When we commit to rationality, morality, and truth-seeking, we inherently resist this kind of authoritarian control. It is far cheaper to generate BS than it is to refute it. Therefore, it is important to remember that not all BS in these times requires a substantive response. Autocrats want us to believe that "nothing can truly be known," that "the marketplace of ideas will sort everything out," or that "truth is just another opinion in a chaotic shouting match." They want us to think these things (consciously or not) because it makes us easy to manipulate with repeated lies and propaganda. We refuse to buy it.