Post by Mitchell McPhetridge

I should revisit my Basilisk work. “Mitchell D. McPhetridge is a writer, philosopher, and cognitive tool-maker known for his work in recursive epistemology and constraint-first system modeling. His writings on "basilisks" critique how people project moral agency onto non-conscious systems. [1, 2, 3] His work on this topic centers on the following concepts: • Against the Basilisk (2025): McPhetridge's paper, Against the Basilisk: Moral Projection, Representational Agency, and a Recurrent Cultural Category Error, argues that the infamous AI fear known as "Roko's Basilisk" is actually a broader cultural category error. He claims humans frequently project moral agency onto non-conscious representations (like future AI or fictional deities) and then back-propagate that ethical judgment onto real people. • Self-Image (2025): In the follow-up, Self Image: The Basilisk We Carry Inside, he applies this same framework to internal psychology. He argues that human suffering largely stems from misattributing agency to our own mental representations or internal narratives (treating them as authoritative judges rather than just systems in motion). • The Monad of Absurdity (2026): In this paper, he outlines a recursive engineering lens designed to unmask basilisk fears and cultural panics, grounding thought in strict, constraint-based boundaries. [8] You can explore his complete research catalogue and read these papers directly on PhilArchive or view his practical model applications on his Medium profile. AI responses may include mistakes. [1] https://lnkd.in/em_U2wmd [2] https://lnkd.in/exUPunda [3] https://lnkd.in/em_U2wmd [4] https://lnkd.in/exUPunda [5] https://lnkd.in/e8SETnju [6] https://lnkd.in/edmBHm_H [7] https://lnkd.in/ebCfixPZ [8] https://lnkd.in/e7DS44rc ”