ZoltanBerrigomo comments on Why CFAR's Mission? - Less Wrong

38 Post author: AnnaSalamon 02 January 2016 11:23PM

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Comment author: Kaj_Sotala 09 January 2016 01:06:37PM 3 points [-]

Being rational involves evaluating various claims and empirical facts, using the best evidence that you happen to have available. Sometimes you're dealing with a domain where explicit reasoning provides the best evidence, sometimes with a domain where emotions provide the best evidence. Both are information-processing systems that have evolved to make sense of the world and orient your behavior appropriately; they're just evolved for dealing with different tasks.

This means that in some domains explicit reasoning will provide better evidence, and in some domains emotions will provide better evidence. Rationality involves figuring out which is which, and going with the system that happens to provide better evidence for the specific situation that you happen to be in.

Comment author: ZoltanBerrigomo 11 January 2016 03:28:40AM *  1 point [-]

Sometimes you're dealing with a domain where explicit reasoning provides the best evidence, sometimes with a domain where emotions provide the best evidence.

And how should you (rationally) decide which kind of domain you are in?

Answer: using reason, not emotions.

Example: if you notice that your emotions have been a good guide in understanding what other people are thinking in the past, you should trust them in the future. The decision to do this, however, is an application of inductive reasoning.

Comment author: Kaj_Sotala 11 January 2016 05:29:08PM 0 points [-]

Sure.