Eugine_Nier comments on What is Metaethics? - Less Wrong

31 Post author: lukeprog 25 April 2011 04:53PM

You are viewing a comment permalink. View the original post to see all comments and the full post content.

Comments (550)

You are viewing a single comment's thread. Show more comments above.

Comment author: Eugine_Nier 28 April 2011 02:45:40AM *  0 points [-]

In keeping with my analogy let's translate your position into the corresponding position on physics:

I see a universe which contains intelligent agents with opinions and/or beliefs. Then I see conversations about physics and reality talking about beliefs being "true" or "false". From the context and explanations, "true" seems to mean very different things. Like:

"My beliefs" or "The beliefs of most agents in a particular place" or "Those beliefs which fulfill arbitrary metric X"

Likewise, "false" inherits its meaning from whatever definition is given for "true". It makes sense to me to talk about opinions and/or beliefs . They're important. If that's what people are talking about when they discuss truth, then that makes perfect sense. What I do not understand is when people use the words "true" or "false" independently of any agent's opinion. I don't see what they are referring to, or what those words even mean in that context.

Do you still agree with the changed version? If not, why not?

(I never realized how much fun it could be to play a chronophone.)

Comment author: NMJablonski 28 April 2011 02:53:02AM *  4 points [-]

Based upon my experiences, physical truths appear to be concrete and independent of beliefs and opinions. I see no cases where "right" has a meaning outside of an agent's preferences. I don't know how one would go about discovering the "rightness" of something, as one would a physical truth.

It is a poor analogy.

Edit: Seriously? I'm not trying to be obstinate here. Would people prefer I go away?

New edit: Thanks wedrifid. I was very confused.

Comment author: Eugine_Nier 28 April 2011 03:14:14AM -2 points [-]

Based upon my experiences, physical truths appear to be concrete and independent of beliefs and opinions.

Please explain what the word "concrete" means independent of anyone's beliefs and opinions.

Comment author: wedrifid 28 April 2011 03:28:24AM 0 points [-]

Seriously? I'm not trying to be obstinate here. Would people prefer I go away?

You're not being obstinate. You're more or less right, at least in the parent. There are a few nuances left to pick up but you are not likely to find them by arguing with Eugine.