Tap a claim on the ring to put it at the centre.
← Following one's conscience is no safe theory of governance, because private moral compasses err and disagree
17 connected korrents · 16 moments from 4 Jul 1854 to 18 Sept 2026.
Everything filed under government
government
Everything filed under behavioural science
behavioural science
Everything filed under empathy
empathy
Everything filed under public debt
public debt Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Read this korrent: Following one's conscience is no safe theory of governance, because private moral compasses err and disagree Following one's conscience is no safe theory of governance, because private moral compasses err and disagree Last stated 11 years ago
12 Oct 2015
KS
Kathryn Schulz — holds since 2015-10-12 — tap for who they are
Same subject: Institutions fail not because people are wicked, but because evidence, incentives, discretion, and review rights flow in the wrong direction. — tap to centre the map on it Institutions fail not because people are wicked, but because evidence, incentives, discretion, and review rights flow in the wrong direction. Last stated 4 months ago
26 May 2026
RK
Rohit Krishnan — holds since 2026-05-26 — tap for who they are
Same subject: A wise ruler need not keep his word when it would harm him and its reasons are gone, because people are not wholly good — tap to centre the map on it A wise ruler need not keep his word when it would harm him and its reasons are gone, because people are not wholly good
NM
Niccolò Machiavelli — holds since c. 1513–1514 — tap for who they are
Same subject: Corrupting the church was a prisoner's dilemma: a duke who declined to bribe the pope while his enemies bribed him was simply beaten. — tap to centre the map on it Corrupting the church was a prisoner's dilemma: a duke who declined to bribe the pope while his enemies bribed him was simply beaten. Last stated 4 months ago
16 Jun 2026
AP
Ada Palmer — holds since 2026-06-16 — tap for who they are
Same subject: Letting one calculation take over a giving decision is disturbing, and there is still a strong case for it if you want your ethics to be principled and about other people. — tap to centre the map on it Letting one calculation take over a giving decision is disturbing, and there is still a strong case for it if you want your ethics to be principled and about other people. Last stated 5 years ago
15 Feb 2022
HK
Holden Karnofsky — holds since 2022-02-15 — tap for who they are
Same subject: You should not disown your deeds once done; pangs of conscience are indecent — tap to centre the map on it You should not disown your deeds once done; pangs of conscience are indecent Last stated 138 years ago
3 Sept 1888
FN
Friedrich Nietzsche — holds since 1888-09-03 — tap for who they are
Same subject: Empathy is a poor moral guide that leads to bad decisions. — tap to centre the map on it Empathy is a poor moral guide that leads to bad decisions. Last stated 2 years ago
13 May 2024
PB
Paul Bloom — holds since 2024-05-13 — tap for who they are
Same subject: Bad people need only that good people look on and do nothing; someone who lets wrong be done in their name without protest is not good — tap to centre the map on it Bad people need only that good people look on and do nothing; someone who lets wrong be done in their name without protest is not good Last stated 160 years ago
1 Feb 1867
JM
John Stuart Mill — holds since 1867-02-01 — tap for who they are
Same subject: A righteous reform cannot be achieved by expediency; in morals there is no sliding uphill — tap to centre the map on it A righteous reform cannot be achieved by expediency; in morals there is no sliding uphill Last stated 172 years ago
4 Jul 1854
HT
Henry David Thoreau — holds since 1854-07-04 — tap for who they are
Same subject: A belief system combining cosmic stakes, privileged knowledge, personal vocation and an imperative to act can license extraordinary behavior when it conflicts with ordinary constraints. — tap to centre the map on it A belief system combining cosmic stakes, privileged knowledge, personal vocation and an imperative to act can license extraordinary behavior when it conflicts with ordinary constraints. Last stated 2 weeks ago
17 Sept 2026
VR
Venkatesh Rao — holds since 2026-09-17 — tap for who they are
Same subject: A cancellation-reason drop-down measures list order rather than reasons: randomise the options and every one of them gets picked equally. — tap to centre the map on it A cancellation-reason drop-down measures list order rather than reasons: randomise the options and every one of them gets picked equally. Last stated 8 months ago
25 Jan 2026
JC
Jason Cohen — holds since 2026-01-25 — tap for who they are
Same subject: A decision cannot be judged by its outcome, because good decisions fail through no fault of the decider and bad ones succeed by luck. — tap to centre the map on it A decision cannot be judged by its outcome, because good decisions fail through no fault of the decider and bad ones succeed by luck. Last stated 4 years ago
9 Aug 2022
GK
Gary Klein — holds since 2022-08-09 — tap for who they are
Same subject: A broken criminal justice institution survives precisely because it serves the people who run it. — tap to centre the map on it A broken criminal justice institution survives precisely because it serves the people who run it. Last stated a month ago
1 Sept 2026
RB
Radley Balko — holds since 2026-09-01 — tap for who they are
Same subject: A candidate's political success is increasingly disconnected from their actual record of accomplishment. — tap to centre the map on it A candidate's political success is increasingly disconnected from their actual record of accomplishment. Last stated a month ago
31 Aug 2026
DD
Daniel W. Drezner — holds since 2026-08-31 — tap for who they are
Same subject: A competent, empowered civil service that performs crucial government functions with in-house expertise is good. — tap to centre the map on it A competent, empowered civil service that performs crucial government functions with in-house expertise is good. Last stated 2 weeks ago
18 Sept 2026
NS
Noah Smith — holds since 2026-09-18 — tap for who they are
Same subject: A central bank can eliminate a self-fulfilling ('sunspot') debt crisis simply by credibly committing to buy as many bonds as needed at the low interest rate. — tap to centre the map on it A central bank can eliminate a self-fulfilling ('sunspot') debt crisis simply by credibly committing to buy as many bonds as needed at the low interest rate. Last stated 4 years ago
1 Jun 2022
OB
Olivier Blanchard — holds since 2022-06-01 — tap for who they are
Same subject: A government debt crisis is measurable and therefore visible well in advance; the diagnostic is mechanical rather than a matter of judgement. — tap to centre the map on it A government debt crisis is measurable and therefore visible well in advance; the diagnostic is mechanical rather than a matter of judgement. Last stated a month ago
21 Aug 2026
RD
Ray Dalio — holds since 2026-08-21 — tap for who they are
Same subject: A government's debt dynamics are a household's or a company's, except that it can print money and tax -- and those two powers are what change the ending. — tap to centre the map on it A government's debt dynamics are a household's or a company's, except that it can print money and tax -- and those two powers are what change the ending. Last stated a month ago
21 Aug 2026
RD
Ray Dalio — holds since 2026-08-21 — tap for who they are
At the centre
Following one's conscience is no safe theory of governance, because private moral compasses err and disagree
Holds Read this korrent →
Institutions fail not because people are wicked, but because evidence, incentives, discretion, and review rights flow in the wrong direction.
Holds
A wise ruler need not keep his word when it would harm him and its reasons are gone, because people are not wholly good
Last stated c. 1513–1514
Holds
Corrupting the church was a prisoner's dilemma: a duke who declined to bribe the pope while his enemies bribed him was simply beaten.
Holds
Letting one calculation take over a giving decision is disturbing, and there is still a strong case for it if you want your ethics to be principled and about other people.
Holds
You should not disown your deeds once done; pangs of conscience are indecent
Holds
Empathy is a poor moral guide that leads to bad decisions.
Holds
Bad people need only that good people look on and do nothing; someone who lets wrong be done in their name without protest is not good
Holds
A righteous reform cannot be achieved by expediency; in morals there is no sliding uphill
Holds
A belief system combining cosmic stakes, privileged knowledge, personal vocation and an imperative to act can license extraordinary behavior when it conflicts with ordinary constraints.
Holds
A cancellation-reason drop-down measures list order rather than reasons: randomise the options and every one of them gets picked equally.
Holds
A decision cannot be judged by its outcome, because good decisions fail through no fault of the decider and bad ones succeed by luck.
Holds
A broken criminal justice institution survives precisely because it serves the people who run it.
Holds
A candidate's political success is increasingly disconnected from their actual record of accomplishment.
Holds
A competent, empowered civil service that performs crucial government functions with in-house expertise is good.
Holds
A central bank can eliminate a self-fulfilling ('sunspot') debt crisis simply by credibly committing to buy as many bonds as needed at the low interest rate.
Holds
A government debt crisis is measurable and therefore visible well in advance; the diagnostic is mechanical rather than a matter of judgement.
Holds
A government's debt dynamics are a household's or a company's, except that it can print money and tax -- and those two powers are what change the ending.
Holds