You can’t design a bridge without actually knowing the tensile strength of steel and the compressive strength of concrete, these facts are not open to interpretation. Designing a society is no different
It’s different because, in a society, you have to deal with competing values.
This is easily the most important concept that Eliezer discusses in The Sequences. Reality actually exists and has properties you can determine through study and experimentation
The difference between knowing some things, and knowing everything is important , as is the fact/value distinction.
And also, you totally can build a bridge without knowing the tensile strength of steel or the compressive strength of concrete!
Trial and error works, and with scale models (plus awareness of square/cube scaling etc) it’s cheap too
Bridges can also be made out of stone, wood, rope, iron, living roots, …
Engineering regularly works with materials and processes where we don’t understand the relevant underlying science—for example, we spent most of the 20th century doing aerodynamics with wind tunnels and test flights rather than fluid dynamics.
It’s different because, in a society, you have to deal with competing values.
The difference between knowing some things, and knowing everything is important , as is the fact/value distinction.
And also, you totally can build a bridge without knowing the tensile strength of steel or the compressive strength of concrete!
Trial and error works, and with scale models (plus awareness of square/cube scaling etc) it’s cheap too
Bridges can also be made out of stone, wood, rope, iron, living roots, …
Engineering regularly works with materials and processes where we don’t understand the relevant underlying science—for example, we spent most of the 20th century doing aerodynamics with wind tunnels and test flights rather than fluid dynamics.