timtyler comments on When It's Not Right to be Rational - Less Wrong

4 Post author: Annoyance 28 March 2009 04:15PM

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Comment author: Annoyance 29 March 2009 05:48:32PM 0 points [-]

"As rationalists, we primarily want to be instrumentally rational. Scratch that, it's the only thing we want (intrinsically)."

No. I'm not sure why you believe that our wants are outside the domain of rationality's influence, but they are not.

Comment author: timtyler 29 March 2009 05:57:47PM 2 points [-]

Wants are outside the domain of instrumental rationality - by definition. In other words, instrumental rationality can be applied to any goal.

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