Robin Hanson

Robin Hanson, a proponent of rationality, explores the concept of 'cultural drift' - the gradual maladaptation of cultural norms and values due to diminished selective pressures over recent centuries. To counteract this, Hanson proposes that true 'rationalists' should not blindly embrace the values of their culture, but instead objectively estimate the most adaptive cultural priorities based on historical data, theories of natural selection, and future contexts. This 'rational cultural agent' approach treats cultural evolution as an optimization process, constantly iterating to discover optimal values for a given environment. Though inherently challenging, widespread adoption of such rational analysis could accelerate positive cultural change beyond the sluggish pace of natural selection.