The trouble is that a rationalism that fails to deal with possible basilisks ... fails.
We don't all have an impregnable mental fortress. (And anyone claiming they do is speaking foolishly - they might do, but they can't possibly be certain.) But a failure to be able to deal with such is, nevertheless, a failure of rationality.
So let's do something useful. How do we train a rationalist to safely outstare a basilisk and turn Medusa to stone?
So let's do something useful. How do we train a rationalist to safely outstare a basilisk and turn Medusa to stone?
In general, if you want to outstare a basilisk, you need to reason about it from a distance first - gather abstract information about severity, defenses and prerequisites first, before reading it, then perform an explicit risk-benefit calculation to decide whether to read it or not. And if people who've encountered it say that you shouldn't read it, then accept that. There is no such thing as a reliable, fully general defense. There exist c...
My various interweb browsings stumbled me upon a potential Cockatrice in written, philisophical form. I've thus far read through the first chapter, and it is less anti-rational than most philosophical writings.
I'm reading through it right now, and will provide my feedback when I'm done, likely as a front-page post.
Personally, I'm a Fatalist, with some sort of Weird Soldier Ethic, who plans to go out the same way that Hunter did (if the cops don't get me first), but I've got a bunch of nonsense to Write first. I figure that'll make me somewhat immune. That aside, I doubt it's a real cockatrice - or we would've heard about it before.
It is a strong exercise in Nihilism. So, with those cautions given, I offer it to you: an extensive suicide letter.
Tip of the hat to this guy.