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Lumifer comments on Does Evidence Have To Be Certain? - Less Wrong Discussion

0 Post author: potato 30 March 2016 10:32AM

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Comment author: potato 30 March 2016 12:49:45PM *  0 points [-]

Yeah, the problem i have with that though is that I'm left asking: why did I change my probability in that? Is it because i updated on something else? Was I certain of that something else? If not, then why did I change my probability of that something else, and on we go down the rabbit hole of an infinite regress.

Comment author: Lumifer 30 March 2016 03:18:36PM 1 point [-]

why did I change my probability in that?

Presumably because you got some new information. If there is no information, there is no update. If the information is uncertain, make appropriate adjustments. The "infinite regress" would either converge to some limit or you'll end up, as OrphanWilde says, with Descartes' deceiving demon at which point you don't know anything and just stand there slack-jawed till someone runs you over.