Value Differences As Differently Crystallized Metaphysical Heuristics

A substantial moral-philosophy essay proposing that values are heuristics crystallized at different levels of a ladder: EXPLICIT MODEL → EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCE → REIFIED ESSENCE → ENDORSED VALUE (nutrition→'healthy foods'→organic; game theory→anger→'Justice'→retribution; STD-avoidance→disgust→'purity'; food-finding→nature-love→'Nature'→environmentalism). Value differences = crystallizing at different rungs, not fundamental incomprehensibility. Section II defends metaphysical heuristics (explicit models often fail — Soylent/chromium, high modernism/Seeing Like A State) via the sharp Simplicio/Sophisticus dialogue showing even utilitarianism is a crystallized heuristic. Section III on what determines crystallization level (IQ/education, exposure, germ-theory-of-democracy, Haidt's authority foundation), and a practical charitable-interpretation payoff.

Quality 75 · Excellent. 75 — Excellent floor. An ambitious, original framework (the crystallization ladder) with a genuinely sharp dialogue (utilitarianism as itself a crystallized heuristic) and a useful practical payoff. Held at the floor because it's part of a sequence (leans on prior posts) and is somewhat sprawling.

Claude’s paradigm shift 62 · Notable shift. 62 — Notable, edging Major. The crystallization-ladder framework for value differences is a fresh, original synthesis.

Real-world impact 2 · Minor. 2 — minor/within-blog. Influential within rationalist moral-philosophy discourse; no material reach.