brazil84 comments on Rationality Quotes September 2011 - Less Wrong

7 Post author: dvasya 02 September 2011 07:38AM

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Comment author: brazil84 03 September 2011 06:17:05PM 4 points [-]

It would not qualify.

Well in that case, I was not talking about group selection. I was referring to a set of individuals each of whose reproductive fitness would be enhanced by the beliefs shared by him and the other members of the set of individuals.

I think that in normal discussions, it's reasonable to refer to a set of individuals with shared beliefs as a "group." And if those beliefs generally enhance the reproduction of the individuals in that group, it's reasonable to state that the reproductive fitness in the group has been enhanced.

Try to avoid it.

I suppose, but I think it was pretty clear from the context what I meant when I said that certain beliefs "arguably increase the reproductive fitness in the individuals and groups who hold them." At a minimum, I think I deserve the benefit of the doubt.

Comment author: Vaniver 03 September 2011 06:25:42PM 3 points [-]

At a minimum, I think I deserve the benefit of the doubt.

I agree with you, as implied by my choice of "oversensitive" rather than "sensitive."

Comment author: brazil84 03 September 2011 07:47:53PM 2 points [-]

Thanks, and for what it's worth I do agree that group selection as you have defined it is vulnerable to defection by individuals.