Whatever the definition, the question remains whether K-complexity is the right concept here. Dawkins's argument does not define complexity; he treats it as "we know it when we see it". My assertion has been that Dawkins's argument applies in a context where it leads to an incorrect conclusion, and therefore can't be right. To make this argument, I need to use Dawkins's intended notion of complexity, which might not be the same as Chaitin's or Kolmogorov's. And for this, the best I can do is to infer from context what Dawkins does and does not see as complex.
1) Unless they say otherwise, you should assume someone is using the standard meanings for the terms they use, which would mean Dawkins is using the intuitive definition, which closely parallels K-complexity.
2) If you're going to write a book hundreds of pages long in which you crucially rely on the concept of complexity, you need to explicitly to define it. That's just how it works. If you know what concept of complexity is "the" right one here, you need to spell it out yourself.
3) Most importantly, you have shown Dawkins's argument to be in error in the context of an immaterial realm that is not observable and does not interact with this universe. Surely, you can think of some reason why Dawkins doesn't intend to refer to such realms, can't you? (Hint: Dawkins is an atheist, materialist, and naturalist -- just like you, in other words, until it comes to the issue of math.)
ETA: If any followers of this exchange think I'm somehow not getting someting, or being unfair to SteveLandsburg, please let me know, either as a reply in the thread or a PM, whether or not you use your normal handle.
If you're going to write a book hundreds of pages long in which you crucially rely on the concept of complexity, you need to explicitly to define it. That's just how it works. If you know what concept of complexity is "the" right one here, you need to spell it out yourself.
Well, Silas, what I actually did was write a book 255 pages long of which this whole Dawkins/complexity thing occupies about five pages (29-34) and where complexity is touched on exactly once more, in a brief passage on pages 7-8. From the discrepancy between your descripti...
A monthly thread for posting rationality-related quotes you've seen recently (or had stored in your quotesfile for ages).
ETA: It would seem that rationality quotes are no longer desired. After several days this thread stands voted into the negatives. Wolud whoever chose to to downvote this below 0 would care to express their disapproval of the regular quotes tradition more explicitly? Or perhaps they may like to browse around for some alternative posts that they could downvote instead of this one? Or, since we're in the business of quotation, they could "come on if they think they're hard enough!"