Category: Philosophy & Worldview

  • Weapons of Math Destruction

    Cathy O’Neil

    Humans have had biases for the longest while. But they have come a long way from from the simplistic ones that helped the species band together and survive, or even the the heuristics we have applied and continue to use at an individual level. As search engines and social networks move from tools to utilities, we have now begun to see the dark side of “software is eating the world” – when biases and discrimination are being codified into systems, resulting in blind discrimination that widens inequality by preventing people from climbing out of poverty, unemployment, homelessness and all the things that we as society should be ashamed of. 

    The author, thanks to her education and experience, is well placed to write on the subject. She calls the mathematical models or algorithms WMDs – Weapons of Math Destruction. They have three common characteristics – scale, opacity and damage. To elaborate, they typically use data sets to create scoring systems that evaluates people in various ways. Most of these systems are proprietary. The scale at which these systems operate is really large, and therefore the damage they cause is also equally massive. Most of the people affected don’t even realise they’re being discriminated against and sent on a downward spiral. And most importantly, there is no feedback loop to make the system better. 

    The author frames it very well through examples across life stages – how teachers and students are evaluated in schools and universities, how employees – potential and existing – are screened, how online ads for predatory services like payday loans are targeted, how insurance premiums are decided, how law and order systems end up “creating” criminals simply based on location data, and perpetrates injustice, how scheduling software destroys any sense of work-life balance. These are not dry, statistical examples, but backed by stories of actual humans devastated by an unfeeling algorithm, with nearly no chance to work their way out of it.

    In the future, what really stops us reaching “Minority Report” scenarios? Arresting people because they could be potential criminals, screening applicants based on health issues they could have in the future, and so on. And since everything is based on users sharing data, it seems certain that privacy will come at a price. In the past, when greed and business “progress” began to have harmful effects on society, the government stepped in and put laws in place to safeguard us. But now governments themselves use these systems! We still have a chance to work our way out of this and bring back dignity. For instance, the European model, in which data collection must be approved by the user and is opt-in, and the reuse of data is prohibited. 

    But will we? In our efforts to remove biases, we have ended up creating systemic monstrosities that lack empathy, and only focus on efficiencies. Those who learn to game the system profit. Winners keep winning, losers keep losing, as fairness is forgotten because entire business models are built on them. As the author rightly points out, “The technology already exists. It’s only the will we’re lacking.” And that, really, is the problem, because “Algorithms are opinions embedded in code”. An important book for the times we live in, and the future.

  • How Fascism Works

    Jason F. Stanley

    In “The Origins of Political Order“, Francis Fukuyama talks about three institutions that have to be in stable balance for democracy to take root and thrive – the state, the rule of law, and accountable government. When that doesn’t happen is when we get contemporary Russia or China. But in various countries, there has been a sharp spike in fascist organisations, either overt or covert, and a polarisation in political discourse. Nations such as Myanmar, India, Poland, Hungary and even the United States may not be called fascist at this point, but are increasingly vulnerable. 

    In “How Fascism Works”, Jason Stanley looks at the structures that are common to Fascist movements – the ten tactics that are the pillars on which the narrative of “us vs them” is created and reinforced. A mythic past that breaks down common history and is rewritten to support the Fascist vision for the present and future. Propaganda that twists democratic ideals to serve their purpose. Anti-intellectualism that attacks universities and academia in general who might challenge their ideas. These three work in tandem to create an “unreality”, followed by the onslaught of conspiracy theories and fake news.

    Group differences are then highlighted, and scientific support for hierarchy is formed. As divisions multiply, victimhood among the dominant population is stoked the moment any minority moves towards progress. As gender equity advances, patriarchy gets threatened, increasing sexual anxiety, which is used to fuel conflict even further. Law and order is then cast as a tool for the majority “us” to be used against “them”. The narrative of us is most applied in the rural heartland, where “our” pure values and traditions still survive. And finally, unions and any social organisation that tries to build unity among diverse citizens is dismantled. So is public welfare since “they” are exploiting “our” generosity. 

    The nation replaces the state, creating a group identity, and using a sense of collective victimhood to call for the defence of that shared identity – ethnicity, religion, skin colour etc. Pluralism and tolerance are targeted in order to isolate “them”. The nation then artificially creates the conditions that would legitimise ethnic cleansing or genocide. 

    If you live in India, as I do, you are bound to recognise a lot of these – the pure Hindu past, love jihad, the sacred cow and lynching of Muslims, attacks on universities, imprisonment and/or killing of writers and activists, the biased use of law and order, and so on. The plight of the Rohingyas in Myanmar is a nearby example too. So is the United States under Trump. 
    There is a systematic normalisation that would make any charge of Fascism seem like an overreaction. This too is part of the process. The way to combat this is by first understanding the tactics, see them for what they are, and share the perspectives widely. That’s why this book is an important read for everyone.

  • The Moment of Lift

    Melinda French Gates

    “When we invest in women and girls, we are investing in the people who invest in everyone else.” That’s indeed how we can change the world, and the best part is that despite the tremendous experience she has on the subject, Melinda French Gates neither makes the book prescriptive, nor makes it about herself. 

    The book is only about 270 pages, but it covers a whole lot of ground. From maternal and newborn health, to the importance of contraceptives and family planning, to education for girls, the unpaid work that women do, and gender inequity in the workplace, it is clear that nothing in this context is an isolated problem. And to solve them, the work has to be done at both the macro and micro level. While many of the anecdotes are heartbreaking, it is a testament to the narration that one closes the last page with hope. 
    There are two things that impressed me a lot. The first is an intellectual honesty with which she approaches each subject. Right from “American billionaires giving away money will mess everything up” – she provides the reasons for this towards the end of the book, and there is a tremendous objectivity at work here. The second is the understanding that there is much learning to do. Several times in the book, she admits that she writes from a position of privilege, and there are aspects that took her time to grasp. But she spends the time to listen and learn. That’s also why she lets others tell their stories. 

    These are women in Africa and Asia who have been directly affected, but have had the courage and will to create a solution. There is compelling data, but what’s more moving is the humanity of it. The school on a railway platform, the BandhanTod network, Avahan – simple things that one wouldn’t think is a problem, or access to necessities one takes for granted, is a struggle for many others. Leymah’s story about the Liberian Women’s initiative carried an important lesson about how successful social movements needed a combination- strong activism and the ability to take pain without passing it on. That second part underlines why women are best placed to heal the angst that the world experiences every day. 
    The only exception (to letting others tell their story) is when she believes that her own experiences can get people to think differently. I found her perspectives on marriage and empathy at the workplace extremely insightful. 

    In the book, Melinda, quotes Mary Maxwell Gates – “From those to whom much is given, much is expected”. From whatever I have read, Melinda French Gates is on it! It is not just the empathy she shows towards those who are less fortunate, but the active steps she has been taking to overcome the obstacles that hold women back. The book is a compelling read, and a great learning experience.

  • 12 Rules for Life

    Jordan B Peterson

    Though the book is categorised as “self help”, and has the kind of material that would qualify it for that label (if you’re so inclined), I read it more as a bunch of perspective on living and being. Or rather, Being, as the author prefers. And perspectives there are – the psychology professor and practitioner refers to the thoughts of everyone from Nietzsche, Solzhenitsyn and Dostoevsky to Milton and Jung. Not to mention theology – Tao, Buddha and especially the Bible play a part too. To the extent that even the Pareto principle gets connected to a Bible reference.

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  • The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life

    Erving Goffman

    I picked the book up thanks to a post on “backstage” based on it – the stage is where we present ourselves to the world, and backstage is where we allow our true selves to just be. The context was how “social media” was shrinking the backstage area because we are always on show.

    I wondered how a 250-page book could be written on the subject of “presentation of self”, but realised the depths as soon as I had read a few pages of The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. How we behave in the presence of others is indeed a fascinating subject. Goffman uses the metaphor of a theatrical performance to explore the nuances and interplay that occur in practically every interaction we have. A dramaturgical analysis. This interaction need not even be with another specific person but just with the world at large. For instance, he uses an example of how we present ourselves when stepping out on to a beach – our facial expression, the book we carry (or not), whether we go for a swim (or not). Just as an actor uses techniques to present a character, we give performances in everyday life to guide others’ impression of us. The expressions we “give” and the impressions we “give off”. Many stages (contexts), many props (subjects we talk about, clothes we wear, attitudes, beliefs etc) for many audiences. I realised that some are so ingrained that I have to really “step outside” to catch it. 

    It gets even more interesting when we consider that others are also doing the same thing. This leads to intriguing dynamics. It not only means we have to sometimes co-opt them, but that we also play a role in their performance. Teamwork, which involves many rules – in performances within and without- that we must conform to, if we want to stay a part of the team. Familiarity, solidarity and a working consensus on individual roles and interplay all lead to the creation of the team’s “mythology”. The audience is also a part of the performance and without their tacit agreement, the show would fall apart. There is also a “definition of situation” that all constituents must agree on. This not only plays out in social gatherings, but in society at large, which expects its performers to play a role. 

    “Impression management” is a very useful takeaway from The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. Reality and perception not necessarily being the same. Not that we aren’t doing it already, but the nuances, and perspectives on the tool-kits we should make for ourselves. The “expressive control” for instance, the lack of which might give away a the believability of a performance. While The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life has been written more than half a century ago and social interactions have changed a lot since then, including the explosion of non face-to-face forms like the internet, there is a lot it offers in terms of perspective, lessons and actionable insights. It is not an easy read, and I have had to re-read paragraphs and pages a few times, but it is definitely worth the effort.

    The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life