steven0461 comments on Two-Tier Rationalism - Less Wrong

40 Post author: Alicorn 17 April 2009 07:44PM

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Comment author: steven0461 17 April 2009 08:18:55PM *  11 points [-]

IMO people grossly underrate the degree to which constantly doing explicit expected utility calculations can help achieve most goals. As a very primitive example, no good chess player would do without assigning point values to pieces. There is room here for a sort of "Benthamite conspiracy" which, like the anti-akrasiac conspiracy but in a different way, aimed toward instrumental rationality. Things like alienation are an issue, but everything is alienating if nobody else does it.

ETA: I may try writing a "techniques of the Benthamite Conspiracy" post. Though actually "Neumann/Morgenstern Conspiracy" would be a better name.

Comment author: outlawpoet 18 April 2009 12:20:47AM 3 points [-]

I have attempted explicit EU calculations in the past, and have had to make very troubling assumptions and unit approximations, which has limited my further experimentation.

I would be very interested in seeing concrete examples and calculation rules in plausible situations.

Comment author: AnnaSalamon 17 April 2009 11:23:11PM 3 points [-]

Please do.