54. Values Affecting Construals Of Humanity

As argued previously, ideational construals, including the interpretations of experiments, are selected according to their fit with the interpersonal values of the community doing the modelling. Many complementary fears/desires motivate the sorts of models of humanity that are both generated, and then selected for or against by a community. The common motif among them is the fear that humanity is unimportant, not special, the desire for humanity to be important, special. A covert assumption is that values such as ‘important’ or ‘special’ are absolute/objective/real, rather than imposed by the humans involved.

ChatGPT revised:

Ideational Construals and the Influence of Interpersonal Values

As argued previously, ideational construals, including the interpretations of experiments, are selected based on how well they align with the interpersonal values of the community engaging in the modelling process. These models are not purely objective; rather, they are motivated by a complex interplay of complementary fears and desires. At the heart of this is a pervasive fear that humanity is unimportant, not special, and a desire for humanity to be important and special.

A covert assumption that underpins these models is the belief that values such as ‘important’ and ‘special’ are absolute, objective, or real, rather than being imposed by the humans involved in creating and selecting these models. This assumption, often left unexamined, shapes the kinds of narratives and models that emerge in various communities, influencing both how humans see themselves and how they interpret the world around them.