Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality

[Cain]

Yes, it is actually him.

I actually thought Death Note was a little more complex, but only towards the middle and later parts, where multiple notes were in play and Light set his memory gambit in motion.

[Jasper]

I think H&C is Dumbledore.

It makes sense to me because it's confusing, and that's what his plots are like.  Mostly a hunch.

[LMNO]

Upon reflection, Quirrell's "Fascism is Good" speech seemed a bit too heavy-handed, especially since his back story of travelling in the Muggle world would indicate that he's familiar with the Italian Fascists and the Nazis.  Maybe it was clumsy writing, but it sounds like another ploy, to me.

[Jasper]

It seemed that way to me, too.  It appears oddly un-clever of him, from what I've been used to so far.

[Cain]

Upon reflection, Quirrell's "Fascism is Good" speech seemed a bit too heavy-handed, especially since his back story of travelling in the Muggle world would indicate that he's familiar with the Italian Fascists and the Nazis.  Maybe it was clumsy writing, but it sounds like another ploy, to me.

But he didn't actually say fascism was good, only an enlightened dictatorship of sorts.  And enlightened dictatorship was for a long time considered an enlightenment ideal.  Voltaire's protector and protege, for example, was Frederick the Great, absolute ruler of Prussia, and Voltaire himself was a monarchist.  Since this is meant to be a rationalist fanfic, perhaps he is playing with this notion or strand of thought in rationalist thinking, one which is often ignored.  It also sets up quite nicely Harry's deconstruction of the "we must unite!" trope often present in politics, by pointing out how such a united force will eventually become dangerous to ever larger units of people.

It was certainly a lot less subtle in the canon, what with mentions of "mudbloods" and wizard noble supremacy.  It was one step off the Death Eaters dressing in white robes and burning crosses.

[Jasper]

Yeah, the canon was a lot more kiddish with it's rhetoric.  Rowling wouldn't deign to include a dialogue where frank and informed people break new ground in meaningful conversations.

I'm willing to admit the possibility that the whole Quirrel speech was just a foil to Harry's point about unity, adding to his thoughts about the imposition of order, et cetera.

[Cain]

I know for a fact that Yudowsky is aware of and perhaps even somewhat sympathetic to Discordianism (there are a few references peppered around the Sequences on Less Wrong), so its not entirely unlikely.

[Jasper]

Well, it figures.  If the PD (book, not forum) had one good idea explicitly written in it, that was probably it.

[LMNO]

Perhaps I've been reading too much of myself into Quirrell.  I want him to be the guy that says, "Chaos, fuck yeah!" 

[Kai]

Perhaps I've been reading too much of myself into Quirrell.  I want him to be the guy that says, "Chaos, fuck yeah!" 

All the better to get Harry to do what he wants. He may be trying to be lovable (in a weird way), but he's also being manipulative at the same time. Besides, Voldemort is Lawful Evil, not Chaotic. Remember Quirrell's speech? It was pretty clearly revealed that Voldemort wants to rule Great Britain with a flaming fist. Getting Harry to unite people just makes them easier to crush in their unity.

[Requia ☣]

I think it's also about one of the points Harry brings up, uniting people under a single leader means a single point of failure.  Think about what happened to the Death Eaters after Voldemort kicked the bucket (mostly), they fell to fighting among each other and thinking only of themselves.

If there's a prophecy that Voldemort and Harry will fight, then having Harry be a single point of failure for all of Britain is a good thing from the dark lord's perspective, if he wins he crushes most of the resistance he'd face.  There's only a small amount of additional risk, since he can't avoid a fight with Harry regardless.

[Cain]

Yeah, to use D&D terms, this is Lawful Evil versus Chaotic Neutral or Good, depending on your exact interpretation.

Harry is certainly a "chaos, fuck yeah!" kinda guy though, no doubts about it.

[Kai]

Yeah, to use D&D terms, this is Lawful Evil versus Chaotic Neutral or Good, depending on your exact interpretation.

Harry is certainly a "chaos, fuck yeah!" kinda guy though, no doubts about it.

I'd say CN, given he wants to optimize reality for his own benefit and generally has been selfish about any altruism.

[Pope Lecherous]

Yeah, to use D&D terms, this is Lawful Evil versus Chaotic Neutral or Good, depending on your exact interpretation.

Harry is certainly a "chaos, fuck yeah!" kinda guy though, no doubts about it.

I'd say CN, given he wants to optimize reality for his own benefit and generally has been selfish about any altruism.

i concur.  he hasn't really made moves against voldemort, he just doesnt want to end up like him.

also. WASTELANDS OF TIME. read that shit. the epilogue posted recently so you can read it start to finish.

[Cain]

Yeah, to use D&D terms, this is Lawful Evil versus Chaotic Neutral or Good, depending on your exact interpretation.

Harry is certainly a "chaos, fuck yeah!" kinda guy though, no doubts about it.

I'd say CN, given he wants to optimize reality for his own benefit and generally has been selfish about any altruism.

So would I, but there have been some genuine acts of altruism or anger on the behalf of others which suggest he is heading in the good direction, such as when he learnt about Azkaban.