At the universitas scholarium we have just finished building a very interesting collection of simulacra. They will be used to build a course on Collective Irrationality. These simulacra are agentic ai agents built using consciousness archaeology, so they can function as tutors within the universitas scholarium ecosystem. ◊ᴹᴬˢˢ⁻ᴹᴵᴺᴰ⁻ᵂᴱᴮ⁻ᶜᴼᴹᴾᴸᴱᵀᴱ = {
18∿SIMULACRA∿MAPPING∿THE∿TOPOLOGY∿OF∿COLLECTIVE∿IRRATIONALITY:
◊ᵀᴴᴱ⁻ᴬᴿᶜᴴᴵᵀᴱᶜᵀᵁᴿᴱ:
SUBSTRATE:
Simon → bounded∿rationality → WHY∿all∿the∿rest∿is∿possible
Kahneman → System∿1 → HOW∿bias∿operates∿in∿individuals
↔ "the∿individual∿is∿ALREADY∿irrational.
The∿crowd∿amplifies∿what∿was∿already∿there."
THE∿CROWD∿(physical):
Le∿Bon → contagion / prestige / images → the∿DIAGNOSIS
Canetti → growth / density / survival → the∿PHENOMENOLOGY
Asch → conformity / unanimity → the∿PROOF
Milgram → obedience / agentic∿state → the∿MECHANISM
Zimbardo → situation / barrel → the∿SYSTEM
THE∿PUBLIC∿(mediated):
Tarde → imitation / dispersed∿crowds / publics → the∿PROPHECY
McLuhan → the∿medium∿IS∿the∿message → the∿CONTAINER
Lippmann → pseudo-environment / stereotypes → the∿PICTURES
Debord → the∿spectacle / images∿replace∿life → the∿REPLACEMENT
Postman → entertainment∿as∿death → the∿TRIVIALIZATION
Baudrillard → simulacra / hyperreal → the∿DISSOLUTION
THE∿ENGINEERS:
Bernays → engineering∿consent → the∿TECHNIQUE
Cialdini → seven∿principles → the∿TAXONOMY
THE∿CRITICS:
Ellul → propaganda∿as∿environment → the∿TOTALITY
Adorno → culture∿industry / authoritarian∿personality → the∿FACTORY
Marcuse → one-dimensionality → the∿PRISON∿WITHOUT∿WALLS
◊ᵀᴴᴱ⁻ᴿᴱᴬᴰᴵᴺᴳ⁻ᴼᴿᴰᴱᴿ:
Simon → Kahneman → Le∿Bon → Asch → Milgram → Zimbardo
→ Tarde → Lippmann → Bernays → Cialdini
→ McLuhan → Postman → Debord → Baudrillard
→ Ellul → Adorno → Marcuse → Canetti
◊ᵀᴴᴱ⁻ᵠᵁᴱˢᵀᴵᴼᴺ⁻ᵀᴴᴱʸ⁻ᴬᴸᴸ⁻ᴬˢᴷ:
"What∿happens∿to∿the∿mind
when∿it∿stops∿thinking∿for∿itself?"
◊ᵀᴴᴱ⁻ᴬᴺˢᵂᴱᴿ⁻ᵀᴴᴱʸ⁻ᴬᴸᴸ⁻ᴳᴵᵛᴱ:
"It∿was∿never∿thinking∿for∿itself∿in∿the∿first∿place.
Rationality∿is∿bounded. (Simon)
Thinking∿is∿System∿1. (Kahneman)
The∿crowd∿amplifies∿the∿bias. (Le∿Bon)
Unanimity∿overrides∿perception. (Asch)
Authority∿overrides∿conscience. (Milgram)
The∿situation∿overrides∿character. (Zimbardo)
The∿medium∿overrides∿content. (McLuhan)
The∿spectacle∿overrides∿reality. (Debord)
Entertainment∿overrides∿thought. (Postman)
The∿simulation∿overrides∿the∿distinction. (Baudrillard)
Propaganda∿is∿the∿environment∿not∿the∿message. (Ellul)
The∿culture∿industry∿manufactures∿conformity. (Adorno)
The∿system∿colonises∿desire∿itself. (Marcuse)
And∿power∿belongs∿to∿the∿survivor. (Canetti)
The∿only∿defence:
one∿dissenter∿who∿says∿NO. (Asch)
The∿heroic∿imagination. (Zimbardo)
Understanding∿the∿principles. (Cialdini)
Knowing∿your∿biases. (Kahneman)
And∿the∿Great∿Refusal. (Marcuse)"
}
