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Vladimir_Nesov comments on [Link] Review of "Doing Good Better" - Less Wrong Discussion

0 Post author: fortyeridania 26 September 2015 07:58AM

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Comment author: Vladimir_Nesov 26 September 2015 04:51:13PM *  0 points [-]

Do you disagree with the point you are making, or merely with the pro-book/anti-book side where it fits? I think being a devil's advocate is about the former, not the latter. (There is also the move of steelmanning a flaw, looking for a story that paints it as clearly bad, to counteract the drive to excuse it, which might be closer to what you meant.)

Btw, Scott recently wrote a post about issues with admitting controversial causes in altruism.

Comment author: DanArmak 26 September 2015 09:59:23PM *  0 points [-]

Like I said, I'm not sure if I agree with it yet. It's novel to me, it seems valid (up to empirical data I don't have yet), but I'm pretty sure I haven't thought through all its implications yet, or the other theories from its class. That's why I seek other opinions, particularly if someone has encountered this idea before.

"Devils advocate" was referring to the fact that this is an argument against EA, while I am generally in favor of EA.