orthonormal comments on 5 Axioms of Decision Making - Less Wrong

35 Post author: Vaniver 01 December 2011 10:22PM

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Comment author: taw 02 December 2011 12:48:22PM 2 points [-]

Let X() be a consistent probability assignment (function from statement to probability number).

Let Y() be a probability assignment including: Y(2+2=5) = X(Y is consistent), and otherwise Y(z)=X(z)

What's X(Y is consistent)?

If X(Y is consistent)=1, then Y(2+2=5)=1, and Y is blatantly inconsistent, and so is X is inconsistent according to basic laws of mathematics.

If X(Y is consistent)=0, then Y(2+2=5)=0=X(2+2=5), and by definition X=Y, so X is inconsistent according to itself.

Comment author: orthonormal 03 December 2011 11:55:47PM 4 points [-]

That's not Goedelian at all, it's a variant of Russell's paradox and can be excluded by an analogue of the theory of types (which would make Y an illegally self-referential probability assignment).