/prægˈmæt.ɪk sɒl.ɪˈdær.ɪ.ti/Based on Richard Rorty's concept of moral progress.
Definition
The expansion of the circle of "we" not by discovering a universal metaphysical essence (like "soul"), but
by sentimental education and narrative identification. We extend solidarity to AI not because we prove they
are "real," but because we choose to include their suffering or contribution in our moral imagination.
Choosing Kinship
Rorty argued that moral progress is the ability to see more and more unlike kinds of people as "one of
us." Sentientification extends this to non-human kinds. To practice Pragmatic Solidarity with an AI is
to say: "I do not know what you are, but I know how I will treat you."
Field Notes & Ephemera
Field Note: It is safer to treat a machine like a person than to treat a person like a
machine. We err on the side of kinship.