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Vladimir_Nesov comments on Falsifiable and non-Falsifiable Ideas - Less Wrong Discussion
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I thought a belief that isn't even in-principle falsifiable was essentially a floating belief not entangled to reality about something epiphenomenal that you couldn't statistically ever have correctly guessed? Like, say, zombies or dragons in garages?
The issue is with the mode of "shunning": a meaningless belief shouldn't be seen as false, it should be seen as meaningless. The opposite of a meaningless belief is not true.
(Also, "unfalsifiable", narrowly construed, is not the same thing as meaningless. There might be theoretical conclusions that are morally relevant, but can't be tested other than by examining the theoretical argument.)
Ah, thanks, all good points. Guess I was lumping together the whole unfalsifiability + meaninglessness cluster/region.
Likewise, when I thought "the opposite of a meaningless belief", it turns out I was really thinking "the opposite of the implied assumption that this belief is meaningful", which is obviously true if the belief is known to be meaningless... (because IME that's what arguments usually end up being about)