Aliens, Social Groups, and the Golden Record | Jason Werbeloff

How would we explain our social structures to aliens? Can we define our social groups in a way that is easy to articulate and understand?

Jason Werbeloff argues that it’s extremely difficult to answer even the simplest questions about the nature of our social groups.

Does this mean we should exclude any talk of groups when describing ourselves on the Golden Record?

And should we understand ourselves as individuals, rather than as members of social groups?

00:00 Introduction and Welcome
00:21 The Voyager Golden Record
02:17 Philosophical Inquiry: Social Groups and Aliens
02:57 The Alien's Perspective on Social Groups
05:08 Defining Social Groups
12:25 Margaret Gilbert's Theory of Social Groups
14:16 Challenges to Gilbert's Theory
20:41 Alternative Theories and Eliminativism
27:08 Q&A and Further Discussion
36:20 The Vagueness of Group Identity
37:10 Dispositional Refinement and Group Membership
37:47 Challenges in Defining Group Membership
38:45 Moral Responsibility and Group Identity
40:08 Individual Accountability in Group Actions
44:09 Degrees of Group Membership
46:43 The Role of Group Leaders
48:56 Relational Properties and Group Persistence
01:05:41 Human Groups vs. Animal Groups
01:11:30 Concluding Thoughts

Presenters: Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff
Editor and Producer: Ella Coleman

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Podcast: https://anchor.fm/braininavat
Contact us: Mark.Oppenheimer[at]gmail and Jwerbe[at]gmail