it seems clear that almost everybody will pick both boxes, so whence comes God’s good track record?
Indeed, in the problem you have specified, God seems to be an incompetent predictor. If there’s no competent predictor involved, it’s safe to two-box.
Setting aside the Azathoth problem for a moment, the transparent Newcomb’s problem I had in mind does involve a competent predictor. You would one-box in that situation, yes? Even though Omega has given you two full boxes?
As you and wedrifid agree, one can make arguments for not reproducing in HonoreDB’s original Azathoth problem; my point is simply that “I already know Azathoth’s prediction” is not a good argument.
my point is simply that “I already know Azathoth’s prediction” is not a good argument.
OK, I agree with that. What matters is not what I happen to know but that Azathoth’s one-boxing prediction (right or wrong) is guaranteed by the formulation of the problem itself.
Indeed, in the problem you have specified, God seems to be an incompetent predictor. If there’s no competent predictor involved, it’s safe to two-box.
Setting aside the Azathoth problem for a moment, the transparent Newcomb’s problem I had in mind does involve a competent predictor. You would one-box in that situation, yes? Even though Omega has given you two full boxes?
As you and wedrifid agree, one can make arguments for not reproducing in HonoreDB’s original Azathoth problem; my point is simply that “I already know Azathoth’s prediction” is not a good argument.
OK, I agree with that. What matters is not what I happen to know but that Azathoth’s one-boxing prediction (right or wrong) is guaranteed by the formulation of the problem itself.