I wouldn’t be surprised if other concepts such as probability were circular in the same way as counterfactuals, although I feel that this is more than just a special case of epistemic circularity. Like I agree that we can only reason starting from where we are—rather than from the view from nowhere—but counterfactuals feel different because they are such a fundamental concept that appears everywhere. As an example, our understanding of chairs doesn’t seem circular in quite the same sense. That said, I’d love to see someone explore this line of thought.
Zack’s analysis cuts off at a point where the circularity exists below it
I could be wrong, but I suspect Zack would disagree with the notion that there is a circularity below it involving counterfactuals. I wouldn’t be surprised though if Zack acknowledge a circularity not involving counterfactuals.
Also I guess I should be clear that there’s no circularity outside the map. Circularity is entirely a feature of our models of reality rather than reality itself
Agreed. That said, I don’t think counterfactuals are in the territory. I think I said before that they were in the map, although I’m now leaning away from that characterisation as I feel that they are more of a fundamental category that we use to draw the map.
Agreed. That said, I don’t think counterfactuals are in the territory. I think I said before that they were in the map, although I’m now leaning away from that characterisation as I feel that they are more of a fundamental category that we use to draw the map.
Yes, I think there is something interesting going on where human brains seem to operate in a way that makes counterfactuals natural. I actually don’t think there’s anything special about counterfactuals, though, just that the human brain is designed such that thoughts are not strongly tethered to sensory input vs. “memory” (internally generated experience), but that’s perhaps only subtly different than saying counterfactuals rather than something powering them is a fundamental feature of how our minds work.
I wouldn’t be surprised if other concepts such as probability were circular in the same way as counterfactuals, although I feel that this is more than just a special case of epistemic circularity. Like I agree that we can only reason starting from where we are—rather than from the view from nowhere—but counterfactuals feel different because they are such a fundamental concept that appears everywhere. As an example, our understanding of chairs doesn’t seem circular in quite the same sense. That said, I’d love to see someone explore this line of thought.
I could be wrong, but I suspect Zack would disagree with the notion that there is a circularity below it involving counterfactuals. I wouldn’t be surprised though if Zack acknowledge a circularity not involving counterfactuals.
Agreed. That said, I don’t think counterfactuals are in the territory. I think I said before that they were in the map, although I’m now leaning away from that characterisation as I feel that they are more of a fundamental category that we use to draw the map.
Yes, I think there is something interesting going on where human brains seem to operate in a way that makes counterfactuals natural. I actually don’t think there’s anything special about counterfactuals, though, just that the human brain is designed such that thoughts are not strongly tethered to sensory input vs. “memory” (internally generated experience), but that’s perhaps only subtly different than saying counterfactuals rather than something powering them is a fundamental feature of how our minds work.