If I say that a species of animals exists, I am asserting the possibility of shooting one and eating it.
I was a little sloppy on this point earlier, so I want to be more careful about it now:
Are you saying that "Species X exists" means exactly the same thing as "I could shoot and eat X in principle"? Or are you just saying that, if you show that you can shoot and eat X, you've shown that X exists? For example, is it meaningless to assert the existence of a species outside of your lightcone?
What am I asserting when I say that a number exists? If it's that a particular computer will print so many numbers ...
It becomes very tricky to talk without appearing to commit yourself to the existence of numbers.
For example, you say above that the computer is printing numbers. How is it doing that if numbers don't exist?
That might seem like nitpicking, and you probably could find a perfectly adequate rewording of that sentence that avoids even the appearance of implying the existence of numbers. But it has proved very difficult to give a fully satisfying nominalist rewording of all talk that is ostensibly about abstract objects.
ETA: The question you raise about how we could know, on a platonic account, that a given formal system is an accurate map of the natural numbers is a good one. It's a large part of why platonism is a nonstarter for me. But I don't think that it's incoherent in the same way that you seem to.
For example, you say above that the computer is printing numbers. How is it doing that if numbers don't exist?
Well then, let it arrange groups of pebbles instead.
The question you raise about how we could know, on a platonic account, that a given formal system is an accurate map of the natural numbers is a good one. It's a large part of why platonism is a nonstarter for me. But I don't think that it's incoherent in the same way that you seem to.
I gently suggest that you need to check your association maps, here. If you can give no account of this ve...
I recognize the title could be more informative. At the same time I believe it says what is important.
I believe in a deity, I believe in mathematical entities in the same way.
The community of LessWrong (from whenceforth: LessWrong) is deeply interesting to me, appearing as a semi-organized atheist, reductionist community.
LessWrong seems very interested in promoting rationality, which I applaud. The effort does seem scattered, though, and this is the reason I post.
One has Eliezer's website with some interesting posts. The same of this community. The community links to some posts when you are coming for the first time into it, and you also have a filter for top posts. One has the blog. And recently, the center for modern rationality (in the same page as harrypoter fanfiction about rationality).
The point being there is no defined roadmap to go from AIC (average irrational chump to make an analogy to Game - which also seems to come up around quite a bit) to RA (again, rationality artist).
I write this post as to maybe generate a discussion on how the efforts could be concentrated and a new direction taken.
Should the creation of the Center for Modern Rationality envision this same concentration, this post may and should be disregard.
If it does not, then I leave it to your consideration.
Hang.