So, if your writing “here be dragons” on a map results in someone encountering a dragon when traveling to the mapped area (a very popular theme in SF/F), how useful is the concept of reality?
The placebo effect came up elsewhere as an example where beliefs alter reality. Similarly, self-fulfilling prophecies need not rely on magic; if I believe I’ll fail at a task, I very probably alter, just by holding this belief, my odds of completing that task. The modified litany isn’t “All beliefs modify reality,” but “I should have accurate beliefs about what beliefs have repercussions in reality.” Your dragon example is merely a demonstration of a belief which is immaterial to reality, for the purposes at least of the subject of the belief.
I believe this response suffices in answering the rest of your objections, as well.
See http://lesswrong.com/lw/h69/litany_of_instrumentarski/8qht for an example of a pretty common theme in this post. Contrary to the argument presented in the comment [ETA: I misread the comment; this argument isn’t actually present. My apologies!], rationality doesn’t break down, a specific and faulty idea held by some rationalists breaks down.
The placebo effect came up elsewhere as an example where beliefs alter reality. Similarly, self-fulfilling prophecies need not rely on magic; if I believe I’ll fail at a task, I very probably alter, just by holding this belief, my odds of completing that task. The modified litany isn’t “All beliefs modify reality,” but “I should have accurate beliefs about what beliefs have repercussions in reality.” Your dragon example is merely a demonstration of a belief which is immaterial to reality, for the purposes at least of the subject of the belief.
I believe this response suffices in answering the rest of your objections, as well.
See http://lesswrong.com/lw/h69/litany_of_instrumentarski/8qht for an example of a pretty common theme in this post. Contrary to the argument presented in the comment [ETA: I misread the comment; this argument isn’t actually present. My apologies!], rationality doesn’t break down, a specific and faulty idea held by some rationalists breaks down.