Rough notes on A Constitution of Knowledge, A Defense of Truth

In Dutch science is called "wetenschap" (knowingness). "In wetenschap zou men in principe meer willen weten, niet meer hebben van wat men wil.

(In science (knowingness) one would in principle want to know more, not have more of what one wants.)

I recently listened to a podcast with Seth Klarman of Baupost investing and he recommended what he considered to be the best book of 2021 "The Constitution of Knowledge"

In short: Read the book. If it is too long skip to.

Chapter 8 Unmute Yourself: Pushing Back Defending the Constitution of Knowledge requires confidence and counter-mobilization

Thoughts by Mathew Walzer in high school in the US December 2022:

Dear Ansgar,

You might remember me from this summer, my friend and I met you whilst looking for a swing in your neighborhood. After our conversation, you gifted me with a book: The Constitution of Knowledge by Jonathan Rauch, and told me to email you my thoughts on it. I've been extremely busy since the start of the school year and it took me a while to get around to reading it, but I've just finished reading it today.

Overall, I agree with the premise of the book wholeheartedly. It is of vital importance for us as a society to defend truth through the methods set out by our Enlightenment-era forefathers. The attack on truth truly comes on all sides in the modern era, whether it be far-right conspiracies, deliberate misinformation, or the far-left cancel culture. All of these different forces have different, sometimes conflicting, lies to tell, and I think this book sets out very helpful guides for navigating them. The methods of research, investigation and expert analysis are, and should always be, the methods for finding the truth, and the fact that we've swayed away from them is scary. 

Personally, I blame social media for the creation and spread of these various lies. Nowadays, anyone no matter how stupid or ignorant can speak on any topic to a wide audience. This is in direct contrast to the more traditional methods of listening to experts in order to obtain knowledge. The main example of this that comes to mind is in the medical field, where doctors are the experts. Instead of listening to the far-left and their views on gender or to the far-right and their views on vaccines, we should always consult the expertise of a medical expert. If we did this in all aspects of life, we would be much better off. 

This was a very interesting read and I'd love to hear your thoughts on it. Thanks for giving me the book and for hosting my friend and me on your patio that summer evening. If you have any more book recommendations, I'm all ears. I would also like to hear more about your investing company, as I'm investing a bit myself. I wish you and your wife a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

All the best,

Matthew Walzer