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shminux comments on Open thread, May 17-31 2013 - Less Wrong
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Now would be good? You can probably construct appropriate questions for a five-year-old based on the Eliezer's version of the fundamental question of rationality: "Why do you believe what you believe?". This can apply to a playground fight as much as to a big political issue.
I have attempted this with my daughter. "Is Father Christmas real?" "Yes!" "How do you know?" "Because [best friend] saw him!" "How do you know [best friend] is right?" "'Cos she is!" At this point I had exhausted a 5yo's philosophical introspection.
First, I got a more instrumental response from a 7yo on whether the tooth fairy is real: "As long as I find my dollar under the pillow, she is!"
Second, you were using an adult language with a small child. Asking instead what her friend saw in more detail, and discussing that instead could have been more illuminating. Or not.
In your position I'd be curious about her response to "Has [best friend] ever said things that turned out not to be true?", but I'd also be worried about poisoning her relationship to her best friend in the process of asking.
[best friend] is also magical and has power over the weather, or at least making it sunny on a rainy day. Daughter's mother and I have both attempted to gently stimulate skepticism on this point. (Said best friend has a somewhat troubled family life and I suspect is claiming to be magical to feel power over her life, so we're happy to be gentle over this one.)
Yeah, that's a good idea. I was stuck in the idea of a set curriculum, but weaving it in wherever possible will probably help it stick better.