saturn comments on Post Your Utility Function - Less Wrong

28 Post author: taw 04 June 2009 05:05AM

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Comment author: saturn 07 June 2009 12:17:08AM 1 point [-]

I am only saying that the entire stack of concepts you have just mentioned exists only in your map.

As far as I can tell, you're saying that there is no territory, or that the territory is irrelevant. In other words, solipsism. You've overcome the naive map/territory confusion, but only to wind up with a more sophisticated form of confusion.

This isn't a "does the tree make a sound" argument. It's more like a "dude... how do we even really know reality is really real" argument. Rationality is entirely pointless if all we're doing is manipulating completely arbitrary map-symbols. But in that case, why not leave us poor, deluded believers in reality to define the words "map", "territory", and "utility" the way we have always done?

Comment author: pjeby 07 June 2009 03:58:22AM 0 points [-]

In other words, solipsism.

No, general semantics. There's a difference.

Comment author: saturn 07 June 2009 10:49:45PM *  2 points [-]

Can you point out the difference?

Even though "this is not a pipe", the form of a depiction of a pipe is nevertheless highly constrained by the physical properties of actual pipes. Do you deny that? If not, how do you explain it?