pjeby comments on Rationality is Systematized Winning - Less Wrong

48 Post author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 03 April 2009 02:41PM

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Comment author: pjeby 03 April 2009 03:09:53PM 1 point [-]

There are two possible interpretations of "Rationalists should win", and it's likely the confusion is coming about from the second.

One use of "should" is to indicate a general social obligation: "people should be nice to each other", and the other is to indicate a personal entitlement: "you should be nice to me." i.e., "should" = "I deserve it"

It appears that some people may be using the latter interpretation, i.e., "I'm rational so I should win" -- placing the obligation on the universe rather than on themselves.

Perhaps "Rationalists choose to win", or "Winning is better than being right"?

Comment author: dclayh 03 April 2009 03:39:57PM 2 points [-]

"Winning is better than being right"

I think Eliezer's point is closer to "Winning is the same as being right"; i.e., the evidence that you're right is that you won.

Comment author: timtyler 03 April 2009 05:24:40PM 3 points [-]

"Winning" and "being right" are different concepts. That is the point of distinguishing between epistemic and instrumental rationality.

Comment author: grobstein 03 April 2009 08:49:03PM 5 points [-]

Actually the problem is an ambiguity in "right" -- you can take the "right" course of action (instrumental rationality, or ethics), or you can have "right" belief (epistemic rationality).