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IlyaShpitser comments on Explanations for Less Wrong articles that you didn't understand - Less Wrong Discussion

18 Post author: Kaj_Sotala 31 March 2014 11:19AM

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Comment author: Anatoly_Vorobey 31 March 2014 01:53:51PM 6 points [-]

I still haven't found a readable meta-overview of causation. What I would love to be able to read is a 3-10 pages article that answers these questions: what is causation, why our intuitive feeling that "A causes B" is straightforward to understand is naive (some examples), why nevertheless "A causes B" is fundamental and should be studied, what disciplines are interested in answering that question, what are the main approaches (short descriptions with simple lucid examples), which of them are orthogonal/in conflict/cooperate with each other, example of how a rigorous definition of causality is useful in some other problem, major challenges in the field.

Before I'm able to digest such a summary (or ultimately construct it in my own head from other longer sources if I'm unable to find it), I remain confused by just about every theoretical discussion of causation - without at least a vague understanding of what's known, what's unknown, what's important and what's mainstream everything sounds a little sectarian.

Comment author: IlyaShpitser 01 April 2014 12:35:58PM 0 points [-]

I find the Socratic approach useful for bridging gaps, do you?