wedrifid comments on Welcome to Less Wrong! (2012) - Less Wrong

25 Post author: orthonormal 26 December 2011 10:57PM

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Comment author: wedrifid 02 January 2012 01:45:29PM 3 points [-]

How do you know?

It is a core belief of Bakkot's - nothing is going to change that. His thinking on the matter is also self consistent. Only strong social or personal influence has a chance of making a difference (for example, if he has children, all his friends have children and he becomes embedded in a tribe where non-baby-killing is a core belief). For my part I understand Bakkot's reasoning but do not share his preference based premises. As such changing my mind regarding the conclusion would make no sense.

More succinctly I don't expect reasoning with each other to change our minds because neither of us is wrong (in the intellectual sense). We shouldn't change our minds based on intellectual arguments - if we do then we are making a mistake.

Comment author: nshepperd 02 January 2012 02:33:41PM 0 points [-]

It is a core belief of Bakkot's - nothing is going to change that.

Yes, and my question is how do you know? Admittedly I haven't read the entire thread from the beginning, but in the large part I have, I see nothing to suggest that there is anything particularly immutable about either of your positions such that neither of you could possibly change your mind based on normal moral-philosophical arguments. What makes you so quick to dismiss your interlocutor as a babyeating alien?

Comment author: wedrifid 02 January 2012 05:41:54PM 5 points [-]

Yes, and my question is how do you know?

I trust his word.

What makes you so quick to dismiss your interlocutor

You're spinning this into a dismissal, disrespect of Bakkot's intellectual capability or ability to reason. Yet disagreement does not equal disrespect when it is a matter of different preferences. It is only when I think an 'interlocutor' is incapable of understanding evidence and reasoning coherently (due to, say, biases or ego) that observing that reason cannot persuade each other is a criticism.

as a babyeating alien?

He is a [babykilling advocate]. He says he is a babykilling advocate. He says why. That I acknowledge that he is an advocate of infanticide rights is not, I would hope, offensive to him.

I note that while Bakkot's self expression is novel, engaging and coherent (albeit contrary to my values), your own criticism is not coherent. You asked "how do you know?" and I gave you a straight answer. Continued objection makes no sense.

Comment author: nshepperd 03 January 2012 12:44:17AM -1 points [-]

I trust his word.

He said his mind could never be changed on this?

You're spinning this into a dismissal, disrespect of Bakkot's intellectual capability or ability to reason. Yet disagreement does not equal disrespect when it is a matter of different preferences.

Spinning? I'm not trying to spin anything into anything. You said this was a matter of different preferences before, and I understood the first time. You don't need to repeat it. My criticism is about why you think this a difference in values rather than a mere confusion of them. (Also, "dismissal" has connotations, but I can't think of a better word to capture "throwing up your hands and going to war with them")

He is a [babykilling advocate]. He says he is a babykilling advocate. He says why. That I acknowledge that he is an advocate of infanticide rights is not, I would hope, offensive to him.

Emphasis was meant to be on alien. Aliens are distinguished by, among other things, not living in our moral reference frame.

Comment author: wedrifid 03 January 2012 12:53:22AM -1 points [-]

You don't need to repeat it. My criticism is about why you think this a difference in values rather than a mere confusion of them.

I answered your question. And I will not repeat it again.