The question whether algorithms “exist” is related to the larger question of whether mathematical concepts “exist”. (The former is a special case of the latter.) Many people on LW take seriously the “mathematical multiverse” ideas of Tegmark and others, which hypothesize that abstract mathematical concepts are actually all that exists. I’m not sure what to think about such ideas, but they’re not obviously wrong, because they’ve been subjected to very harsh criticism from many commenters here, yet they’re still standing. The closest I’ve come to a refutation is the pheasant argument (search for “pheasant” on this site), but it’s not as conclusive as I’d like.
I think it’s very encouraging that we’ve come to a concrete disagreement at last!
ETA: I didn’t downvote you, and don’t like the fact that you’re being downvoted. A concrete disagreement is better than confused rhetoric.
They may not be obviously wrong, but the important point is that it remains a pure metaphysical speculation and that other metaphysical systems exist, and other people even deny that any metaphysical system can ever be “true” (or real or whatever). The last point is rather consensual among modern philosophers: it is commonly assumed that any attempt to build a definitive metaphysical system will necessarily be a failure (because there is no definitive ground on which any concept rests). As a consequence, we have to rely on pragmatism (as you did in a previous comment). But anyway, the important point is that different approaches exist, and none is a definitive answer.
The question whether algorithms “exist” is related to the larger question of whether mathematical concepts “exist”. (The former is a special case of the latter.) Many people on LW take seriously the “mathematical multiverse” ideas of Tegmark and others, which hypothesize that abstract mathematical concepts are actually all that exists. I’m not sure what to think about such ideas, but they’re not obviously wrong, because they’ve been subjected to very harsh criticism from many commenters here, yet they’re still standing. The closest I’ve come to a refutation is the pheasant argument (search for “pheasant” on this site), but it’s not as conclusive as I’d like.
I think it’s very encouraging that we’ve come to a concrete disagreement at last!
ETA: I didn’t downvote you, and don’t like the fact that you’re being downvoted. A concrete disagreement is better than confused rhetoric.
They may not be obviously wrong, but the important point is that it remains a pure metaphysical speculation and that other metaphysical systems exist, and other people even deny that any metaphysical system can ever be “true” (or real or whatever). The last point is rather consensual among modern philosophers: it is commonly assumed that any attempt to build a definitive metaphysical system will necessarily be a failure (because there is no definitive ground on which any concept rests). As a consequence, we have to rely on pragmatism (as you did in a previous comment). But anyway, the important point is that different approaches exist, and none is a definitive answer.