The Psychological Unity of Humankind
Book •
Eliezer Yudkowsky's 'The Psychological Unity of Humankind' argues that because humans evolved similar cognitive architectures, our values and preferences are substantially aligned across cultures.
He suggests this psychological similarity makes the concept of a coherent extrapolated volition (CEV) more feasible, as extrapolation from diverse individuals would converge.
The essay ties evolutionary explanations, sexual reproduction, and shared functional structures to explain why deep value disagreements may be limited.
It has been influential in LessWrong and AI alignment discussions but also faced critiques regarding cultural and genetic diversity.
The piece remains central to debates about whether an AI could meaningfully extrapolate a single human-aligned goal structure.
He suggests this psychological similarity makes the concept of a coherent extrapolated volition (CEV) more feasible, as extrapolation from diverse individuals would converge.
The essay ties evolutionary explanations, sexual reproduction, and shared functional structures to explain why deep value disagreements may be limited.
It has been influential in LessWrong and AI alignment discussions but also faced critiques regarding cultural and genetic diversity.
The piece remains central to debates about whether an AI could meaningfully extrapolate a single human-aligned goal structure.
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Mentioned by Shelly as part of the non-fiction reading list arguing humans share core psychological architecture relevant to CEV debates.
39 – Transhumanism (pt 2)
