Viliam_Bur comments on Stupid Questions December 2014 - Less Wrong

16 Post author: Gondolinian 08 December 2014 03:39PM

You are viewing a comment permalink. View the original post to see all comments and the full post content.

Comments (341)

You are viewing a single comment's thread. Show more comments above.

Comment author: Viliam_Bur 16 December 2014 08:35:21PM 0 points [-]

Maybe we could honestly accept than impossible demands of rigor are indeed impossible. And focus on what is possible.

You can't convince a rock to agree with you on something. There is still some chance with humans.

Comment author: [deleted] 28 December 2014 06:16:19PM *  0 points [-]

The Tortoise's mind needs the dynamic of adding Y to the belief pool when X and (X→Y) are previously in the belief pool. If this dynamic is not present—a rock, for example, lacks it—then you can go on adding in X and (X→Y) and (X⋀(X→Y))→Y until the end of eternity, without ever getting to Y.

This appears to be a circular argument.

Maybe we could honestly accept than impossible demands of rigor are indeed impossible. And focus on what is possible.

This is why I wrote this:

I understand that this has no decision-making value.