pnrjulius comments on Belief as Attire - Less Wrong

40 Post author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 02 August 2007 05:13PM

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Comment author: Pseudonymous2 02 August 2007 07:47:08PM 1 point [-]

Ignorance. I may think I understand their minds, but that does not prove that I do understand their minds.

All you know is that you have a mental model of their minds which seems credible to you. Have you tested this model, and if so, how?

All I am reasonably sure of is that they did not see their act as evil and cowardly. Doubtless the same was true of Jack the Ripper and the Boston Strangler, but that tells me nothing about the differences between them and everyone else. After all, I only think that is true of them is because it seems to be true of most people.

It is really just an assumption.

Comment author: pnrjulius 14 April 2012 09:14:36PM 0 points [-]

That's really an interesting question. What about the ones who really ARE insane psychopaths? Do they think they are doing the right thing, or do they really just not care?

I'm inclined toward the latter, actually. I've read some of Stalin's journals, where he says things like "What is efficient is good. What is inefficient is bad." That sounds like he literally doesn't understand what morality MEANS to ordinary, non-psychopathic people.

Comment author: johnlawrenceaspden 16 August 2012 10:02:43AM 1 point [-]

Sounds like he still needs to classify things as good and bad, though. Maybe a previous moral framework has collapsed and he's looking for an alternative? Any idea whether he had goals beyond 'survive'?