I disagree with quite a lot of the LW consensus, but I haven’t really expressed my criticisms in the few comments I’ve made. I differ substantially from Sequence line on metaethics, reductionism, materialism, epistemology, and even the concept of truth. My views on these things are similar in many respects to those of Hilary Putnam and even Richard Rorty. Those of you familiar with the work of these gentlemen will know how far off the reservation this places me. For those of you who are not familiar with this stuff, I guess it wouldn’t be stretch to describe me as a postmodernist.
I initially avoided voicing my disagreements because I suspect that my collection of beliefs is not only regarded as false by this community, but also as a fairly reliable indicator of woolly thinking and a lack of technical ability. I didn’t want to get branded right off the bat as someone not worth engaging with. The thought was that I should first establish some degree of credibility within the community by restricting myself to topics where the inferential distance between the average LWer and me is small. I think wannabe contrarians entering into any intellectual community should be encouraged to expend some initial effort on credibility-building by talking about stuff on which they by and large agree with the community. I haven’t been following LessWrong for that long, but I gather that there was a time when Will Newsome’s comments were a lot more.… orthodox. I’m guessing that fact has a lot to do with the way his criticisms are received now.
Another big reason I avoid talking about my disagreements is that they are sufficiently fundamental that I expect a large amount of pushback. I know I find it very hard to disengage from argument, and I suspect that’s also true of a significant proportion of the posters here, so I’m worried that the discussion will be a horrible time suck. I really can’t afford that right now. Perhaps at some time in the future, when I have a little more time, I’ll write a discussion post detailing some of my objections.
I haven’t been following LessWrong for that long, but I gather that there was a time when Will Newsome’s comments were a lot more.… orthodox. I’m guessing that fact has a lot to do with the way his criticisms are received now.
Another big reason I avoid talking about my disagreements is that they are sufficiently fundamental that I expect a large amount of pushback. I know I find it very hard to disengage from argument, and I suspect that’s also true of a significant proportion of the posters here, so I’m worried that the discussion will be a horrible time suck. I really can’t afford that right now. Perhaps at some time in the future, when I have a little more time, I’ll write a discussion post detailing some of my objections.
He can still be found on the SingInst about us page.
(In case it’s not obvious the description is not at all currently accurate. I am currently in the process of doing nothing. At some point I firmly decided that doing things is evil, so I try not to do things anymore, at least as a stopgap solution till I better understand the relevant motivational dynamics and moral philosophy. I still talk to people sometimes though, obviously, but to some extent I feel guilty about that too.)
At some point I firmly decided that doing things is evil, so I try not to do things anymore
I still act socially as a Christian in much of my social life so in a certain (not epistemically literal) sense hearing this from ‘another believer’ strikes me as sacrilege. The Parable of the Talents has a clear point to make on this subject! You are defying His will and teachings.
If only it were so easy to tell righteous exploration from liberal folly. But anyway, it’s just a stopgap solution. Likely preparation for a sojourn in the desert, and after that, God knows.
I don’t yet understand the (Kabbalistic?) significance of the number 40. Haven’t looked into it. Maybe if I figured it out then I’d find 40 days, 40 nights uniquely appealing.
I don’t yet understand the (Kabbalistic?) significance of the number 40. Haven’t looked into it. Maybe if I figured it out then I’d find 40 days, 40 nights uniquely appealing.
Worked for Elijah, Moses and Jesus. (I’d recommend eating food though—or at least drink gatorade.)
Many languages, especially in antiquity, have colloquial ways of phrasing “forever” or “a long time” with a superficially-specific count. In Japanese, “ten thousand years” can be used to indicate an indefinitely long period; in Ancient Hebrew, “40 days and 40 nights” does that job.
Given the number of such numerically-precise-but-pragmatically-vague sayings in many languages, and the apparent failure of them to converge beyond shared cultural contact (Classical Arabic has the same use pattern for “40”, as do many Middle Eastern languages from antiquity, though I’ll admit that my linguistic knowledge doesn’t do more than touch on this region superficially, other’n a few years of Modern Hebrew), I don’t think “arbitrary” quite captures it—they simply adopted a use pattern that was widespread in the time and place where they were.
40 is sometimes used, in the Torah, to indicate a general large quantity—according to Google. It also has associations with purification and/or wisdom, according to my interpretation of the various places it appears in the Bible as a whole. (There are a lot of them.)
After a long hiatus from deep involvement in comment threads here—I actually can’t tell if this is serious, or a brilliant mockery of Eliezer’s decisions around creating AGI [*]
I disagree with quite a lot of the LW consensus, but I haven’t really expressed my criticisms in the few comments I’ve made. I differ substantially from Sequence line on metaethics, reductionism, materialism, epistemology, and even the concept of truth. My views on these things are similar in many respects to those of Hilary Putnam and even Richard Rorty. Those of you familiar with the work of these gentlemen will know how far off the reservation this places me. For those of you who are not familiar with this stuff, I guess it wouldn’t be stretch to describe me as a postmodernist.
I initially avoided voicing my disagreements because I suspect that my collection of beliefs is not only regarded as false by this community, but also as a fairly reliable indicator of woolly thinking and a lack of technical ability. I didn’t want to get branded right off the bat as someone not worth engaging with. The thought was that I should first establish some degree of credibility within the community by restricting myself to topics where the inferential distance between the average LWer and me is small. I think wannabe contrarians entering into any intellectual community should be encouraged to expend some initial effort on credibility-building by talking about stuff on which they by and large agree with the community. I haven’t been following LessWrong for that long, but I gather that there was a time when Will Newsome’s comments were a lot more.… orthodox. I’m guessing that fact has a lot to do with the way his criticisms are received now.
Another big reason I avoid talking about my disagreements is that they are sufficiently fundamental that I expect a large amount of pushback. I know I find it very hard to disengage from argument, and I suspect that’s also true of a significant proportion of the posters here, so I’m worried that the discussion will be a horrible time suck. I really can’t afford that right now. Perhaps at some time in the future, when I have a little more time, I’ll write a discussion post detailing some of my objections.
He can still be found on the SingInst about us page.
You do your name justice.
(In case it’s not obvious the description is not at all currently accurate. I am currently in the process of doing nothing. At some point I firmly decided that doing things is evil, so I try not to do things anymore, at least as a stopgap solution till I better understand the relevant motivational dynamics and moral philosophy. I still talk to people sometimes though, obviously, but to some extent I feel guilty about that too.)
Would it help you behave more morally by your lights if nobody replied to you?
Good question. I don’t think so.
I still act socially as a Christian in much of my social life so in a certain (not epistemically literal) sense hearing this from ‘another believer’ strikes me as sacrilege. The Parable of the Talents has a clear point to make on this subject! You are defying His will and teachings.
If only it were so easy to tell righteous exploration from liberal folly. But anyway, it’s just a stopgap solution. Likely preparation for a sojourn in the desert, and after that, God knows.
40 days and 40 nights?
I don’t yet understand the (Kabbalistic?) significance of the number 40. Haven’t looked into it. Maybe if I figured it out then I’d find 40 days, 40 nights uniquely appealing.
Worked for Elijah, Moses and Jesus. (I’d recommend eating food though—or at least drink gatorade.)
Many languages, especially in antiquity, have colloquial ways of phrasing “forever” or “a long time” with a superficially-specific count. In Japanese, “ten thousand years” can be used to indicate an indefinitely long period; in Ancient Hebrew, “40 days and 40 nights” does that job.
But is there any known reason for picking 40 specifically? I wouldn’t expect the Jews to choose their numbers arbitrarily.
Given the number of such numerically-precise-but-pragmatically-vague sayings in many languages, and the apparent failure of them to converge beyond shared cultural contact (Classical Arabic has the same use pattern for “40”, as do many Middle Eastern languages from antiquity, though I’ll admit that my linguistic knowledge doesn’t do more than touch on this region superficially, other’n a few years of Modern Hebrew), I don’t think “arbitrary” quite captures it—they simply adopted a use pattern that was widespread in the time and place where they were.
What do you think about Kabbalah?
40 is sometimes used, in the Torah, to indicate a general large quantity—according to Google. It also has associations with purification and/or wisdom, according to my interpretation of the various places it appears in the Bible as a whole. (There are a lot of them.)
After a long hiatus from deep involvement in comment threads here—I actually can’t tell if this is serious, or a brilliant mockery of Eliezer’s decisions around creating AGI [*]