Due to the recent flurry of arguments about “defining rationality”, and that my karma has risen over 20, I was considering writing a post on the same topic as yours Eliezer. There’s sort of a “darn it” feeling that you beat me to the punch, but I’m also glad that you did, because your writing is much more clear and elegant than mine. Plus your linking to your past posts on OB on the subject is much more comprehensive than anything I could have accomplished.
My one comment is that I noticed you never used the terms “descriptivism” and “prescriptivism” while I almost always do when talking about e.g. the absurdity of thinking that the contents of “the” dictionary (as if there is only one dictionary, or as if all dictionaries are in perfect agreement with each other) determines the meaning of the words. Are you intentionally avoiding these terms, or simply don’t find them useful, or some other reason?
Due to the recent flurry of arguments about “defining rationality”, and that my karma has risen over 20, I was considering writing a post on the same topic as yours Eliezer. There’s sort of a “darn it” feeling that you beat me to the punch, but I’m also glad that you did, because your writing is much more clear and elegant than mine. Plus your linking to your past posts on OB on the subject is much more comprehensive than anything I could have accomplished.
My one comment is that I noticed you never used the terms “descriptivism” and “prescriptivism” while I almost always do when talking about e.g. the absurdity of thinking that the contents of “the” dictionary (as if there is only one dictionary, or as if all dictionaries are in perfect agreement with each other) determines the meaning of the words. Are you intentionally avoiding these terms, or simply don’t find them useful, or some other reason?