You're looking at Less Wrong's discussion board. This includes all posts, including those that haven't been promoted to the front page yet. For more information, see About Less Wrong.

Qiaochu_Yuan comments on Falsifiable and non-Falsifiable Ideas - Less Wrong Discussion

-1 Post author: shaih 19 February 2013 02:24AM

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

Comments (40)

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

Comment author: shaih 19 February 2013 04:51:06AM 0 points [-]

Good point, I often find myself torn between epistemic rationality as a terminal value and its alternative. My thoughts are learning how to treat truth as the highest goal would be more useful to my career in physics and would be better for the world then if I currently steered to my closer less important values.

Comment author: Qiaochu_Yuan 19 February 2013 05:05:34AM *  6 points [-]

So treating truth as the highest goal serves your other, even higher goals?

What behaviors are encapsulated by the statement that you're treating truth as the highest goal, and why can't you just execute those behaviors anyway?

Comment author: Decius 19 February 2013 07:39:02AM 0 points [-]

Truth is the highest goal; being 'right' is a lower goal; improving a career in physics is the lowest goal.

Seeking truth is opposed to being 'right', but aligned with the career in physics.