I tried to convey a similar sentiment here, in the pinned comment:
Many people say that it’s impossible to predict the future. And yet predictions are at the core of science. If a belief says something about the world, then it makes predictions. The more accurate your models are, the better your predictions will be. Under this view, everyone can do magic. Your models of the world are your clairvoyance powers. Your actions, informed by your models, are your spells. The better your predictions are, the more powerful your spells.
Notice that that post doesn’t actually call it precognition. Instead it says that you don’t need precognition, because this is as good.
People cannot do magic, or clairvoyance, or precognition. Those words mean things, which people can’t do, and we already have perfectly good words to describe the things that people can do. Reusing “magic” or “clairvoyance” or “precognition” is the nonpolitical version of calling everyone you don’t like a Nazi, or of saying that anything you believe in is “God”. If you call everyone a Nazi, what are you going to call actual Nazis? If my “god” is utilitarianism, what do we call the being that creates universes and controls morality? Honest-to-God God?
I tried to convey a similar sentiment here, in the pinned comment:
Oh yes, that’s basically the same point! I love this channel btw. Now that you mention it, this post by Jason Crawford on precognition is also relevant.
Notice that that post doesn’t actually call it precognition. Instead it says that you don’t need precognition, because this is as good.
People cannot do magic, or clairvoyance, or precognition. Those words mean things, which people can’t do, and we already have perfectly good words to describe the things that people can do. Reusing “magic” or “clairvoyance” or “precognition” is the nonpolitical version of calling everyone you don’t like a Nazi, or of saying that anything you believe in is “God”. If you call everyone a Nazi, what are you going to call actual Nazis? If my “god” is utilitarianism, what do we call the being that creates universes and controls morality? Honest-to-God God?