Except for the no-one-size-fits-all-epistemology epistemology with a flavor of Westernized Buddhism, I guess.
This is such a cheap trick I wonder why people keep falling for it: “Other people have epistemologies. I don’t have an epistemology. I have a meta-epistemology!” “Other people have beliefs. I don’t have beliefs. I have meta-beliefs!” “Other people use strategies. I don’t have a strategy. I have a meta-strategy!” “Other people use algorithms. I don’t use an algorithm. I use a meta-algorithm!” “Other people try to be rational. I don’t try to be rational. I try to be meta-rational!”
But this is not how it works. For certain definitions, meta-X is still a subset of X; you don’t get beyond X by saying “But I am meta!”. Universal Turing machine is still a Turing machine. A compiler or an interpreter is still a program. An algorithm which tries several algorithms and chooses the one which seems to work best, is still an algorithm. Saying “meta” is not a get-out-of-jail-free card. If a statement is true for all algorithms, it is also true for the “algorithm that tries several algorithms”; there is no free lunch.
Similarly, saying: “I don’t have an epistemology; instead I have several epistemologies, and I use different ones in different situations” is a kind of epistemology. Also, some important details are swept under the rug, for example: How do you choose which epistemology is appropriate for which situation? How do you choose which epistemologies to use at all? How do you create new epistemologies? How do you decide whether the existing ones need to be updated or even discarded? “I don’t have a system, I have multiple systems.” Yeah, but then you also need a system of systems, and that is a system. Closing your eyes does not make it go away.
But this is not how it works. For certain definitions, meta-X is still a subset of X;
And for others, it isn’t.
If a statement is true for all algorithms, it is also true for the “algorithm that tries several algorithms”;
Theoretically, but there is no such algorithm.
Similarly, saying: “I don’t have an epistemology; instead I have several epistemologies, and I use different ones in different situations” is a kind of epistemology.
But it’s not a single algorithmic epistemology.
Also, some important details are swept under the rug, for example: How do you choose which epistemology is appropriate for which situation?
How do you do anything for whcih there isn’t an algorithm? You use experience, intuition, and other system 1 stuff.
This is such a cheap trick
It isn’t in all cases. There is a genuine problem in telling whether a claim of radically superior knowledge is genuine, You can;t round them all off to fraud.
try “there is no one-size-fits-all epistemology”. With a side of “no one-size-fits-all smartness”.
That issue, if it is an issue, reduplicates itself with rationalists versus pre-rationalists.
Except for the no-one-size-fits-all-epistemology epistemology with a flavor of Westernized Buddhism, I guess.
This is such a cheap trick I wonder why people keep falling for it: “Other people have epistemologies. I don’t have an epistemology. I have a meta-epistemology!” “Other people have beliefs. I don’t have beliefs. I have meta-beliefs!” “Other people use strategies. I don’t have a strategy. I have a meta-strategy!” “Other people use algorithms. I don’t use an algorithm. I use a meta-algorithm!” “Other people try to be rational. I don’t try to be rational. I try to be meta-rational!”
But this is not how it works. For certain definitions, meta-X is still a subset of X; you don’t get beyond X by saying “But I am meta!”. Universal Turing machine is still a Turing machine. A compiler or an interpreter is still a program. An algorithm which tries several algorithms and chooses the one which seems to work best, is still an algorithm. Saying “meta” is not a get-out-of-jail-free card. If a statement is true for all algorithms, it is also true for the “algorithm that tries several algorithms”; there is no free lunch.
Similarly, saying: “I don’t have an epistemology; instead I have several epistemologies, and I use different ones in different situations” is a kind of epistemology. Also, some important details are swept under the rug, for example: How do you choose which epistemology is appropriate for which situation? How do you choose which epistemologies to use at all? How do you create new epistemologies? How do you decide whether the existing ones need to be updated or even discarded? “I don’t have a system, I have multiple systems.” Yeah, but then you also need a system of systems, and that is a system. Closing your eyes does not make it go away.
And for others, it isn’t.
Theoretically, but there is no such algorithm.
But it’s not a single algorithmic epistemology.
How do you do anything for whcih there isn’t an algorithm? You use experience, intuition, and other system 1 stuff.
It isn’t in all cases. There is a genuine problem in telling whether a claim of radically superior knowledge is genuine, You can;t round them all off to fraud.