ChrisHibbert comments on Reason as memetic immune disorder - Less Wrong

215 Post author: PhilGoetz 19 September 2009 09:05PM

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Comment author: PhilGoetz 20 September 2009 08:08:15AM 9 points [-]

"Antibodies" is a vague metaphor, by which I meant any aspect of your decision process that blocks or sidetracks a dangerous chain of reasoning. I didn't think about whether these blocks were active responses, or passive omission of a justified inference (eg., disconnected beliefs).

It operates as a metaphor by suggesting co-evolutionary dynamics as a way of looking at the problem. It's not a valid metaphor for trying to figure out the exact mechanism.

Comment author: ChrisHibbert 20 September 2009 05:22:12PM 6 points [-]

voted up for backing away from the details of the metaphor rather than trying to justify them. Not always an easy choice.