Peter_de_Blanc comments on Preference For (Many) Future Worlds - Less Wrong

18 Post author: wedrifid 15 July 2011 11:31PM

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Comment author: steven0461 16 July 2011 03:41:17AM *  2 points [-]

We have ... preferences in terms of "our next experience." If we become convinced by the data that this model of a unique thread of experience is false, we then have problems in translating preferences defined in terms of that false model.

In what sense would I want to translate these preferences? Why wouldn't I just discard the preferences, and use the mind that came up with them to generate entirely new preferences in the light of its new, improved world-model? If I'm asking myself, as if for the first time, the question, "if there are going to be a lot of me-like things, how many me-like things with how good lives would be how valuable?", then the answer my brain gives is that it wants to use empathy and population ethics-type reasoning to answer that question, and that it feels no need to ever refer to "unique next experience" thinking. Is it making a mistake?

Comment author: Peter_de_Blanc 17 July 2011 01:02:32PM 2 points [-]

Why wouldn't I just discard the preferences, and use the mind that came up with them to generate entirely new preferences

What makes you think a mind came up with them?

Comment author: steven0461 17 July 2011 04:33:21PM 0 points [-]

I don't understand what point you're making; could you expand?

Comment author: Peter_de_Blanc 18 July 2011 02:27:30AM 2 points [-]

You can't use the mind that came up with your preferences if no such mind exists. That's my point.

Comment author: steven0461 18 July 2011 02:50:17AM *  0 points [-]

What would have come up with them instead?

Comment author: Peter_de_Blanc 18 July 2011 05:02:39AM 5 points [-]

Evolution.

Comment author: steven0461 19 July 2011 06:24:36PM 1 point [-]

In the sense that evolution came up with my mind, or in some more direct sense?