We are in disagreement then. I reject, not just Pascal's mugging, but also the style of analysis found in Bostrom's "Astronomical Waste" paper. As I understand XiXiDu, he has been taught (by people who think like Bostrom) that even the smallest misstep on the way to the Singularity has astronomical consequences and that we who potentially commit these misteps are morally responsible for this astronomical waste.
Is the "Astronomical Waste" paper an example of "Pascal's Mugging"? If not, how do you distinguish (setting aside the problem of how you justify the distinction)?
We're not quite sure how to fix it, though Hanson's suggestion is pretty good ...
Do you have a link to Robin's suggestion? I'm a bit surprised that a practicing economist would suggest something other than discounting. In another Bostrom paper, "The Infinitarian Challenge to Aggregative Ethics", it appears that Bostrom also recognizes that something is broken, but he, too, doesn't know how to fix it.
Is the "Astronomical Waste" paper an example of "Pascal's Mugging"? If not, how do you distinguish (setting aside the problem of how you justify the distinction)?
Exactly, I describe my current confusion in more detail in this thread, especially the comment here and here which led me to conclude this. Fairly long comments, but I wish someone would dissolve my confusion there. I really don't care if you downvote them to -10, but without some written feedback I can't tell what exactly is wrong, how I am confused.
...Do you have a link to
So after reading SarahC's latest post I noticed that she's gotten a lot out of rationality.
More importantly, she got different things out of it than I have.
Off the top of my head, I've learned...
Where she got...
I've only recently making a habit out of trying new things, and that's been going really well for me. Is there other low hanging fruit that I'm missing?
What cool/important/useful things has rationality gotten you?