Jed_Harris comments on If You Demand Magic, Magic Won't Help - Less Wrong
You are viewing a comment permalink. View the original post to see all comments and the full post content.
You are viewing a comment permalink. View the original post to see all comments and the full post content.
Comments (105)
It is simply a fact that human psychology does not operate in the way Eliezer says it should, does not evaluate itself in the way Eliezer says it should, and does not value the things Eliezer says it should.
More to the point, Eliezer has not produced justification for his claims about what people should do - he has merely made the assertions.
1) The only thing we can plan into existence is plans. Anything else requires additional, actual effort and resources.
2) If humans could change the world through an act of will, that would mean that humans were 'more real' than the world. One of our oldest desires/delusions is that the world should/does respond directly to our mental states. Accomplishing something through 'magic' in which our will alters reality is far more appealing to the human psyche than accomplishing something by submitting to and manipulating impersonal physical principles.