If “sophisticated” in this usage just means “complex”, I’m not sure that I can get behind the idea that complex theories or policies are just better than simple ones in any meaningful way.
There may be a tendency for more complex and complicated positions to end up being better, because complexity is a signal that somebody spent a lot of time and effort on something, but Timecube is a pretty complex theory and I don’t count that as being a plus.
Complexity or “sophistication” can cut the other way just as easily, as somebody adds spandrels to a model to cover up its fundamental insufficiency.
At the same time it’s useful to have beliefs like “The function of the heart is to pump blood”.
I don’t know. I try to root out beliefs that follow that general form and replace them, e.g. “the heart pumps blood” is a testable factual statement, and a basic observation, which semantically carries all the same useful information without relying on the word “function” which implies some kind of designed intent.
If “sophisticated” in this usage just means “complex”, I’m not sure that I can get behind the idea that complex theories or policies are just better than simple ones in any meaningful way.
I haven’t argued that A is just better than B.
I try to root out beliefs that follow that general form
Yes, and I see that as a flaw that’s the result of thinking of everything in Bayesian terms.
“the heart pumps blood” is a testable factual statement, and a basic observation, which semantically carries all the same useful information
When the lungs expand that process also leads to pumping of blood. Most processes that change the pressure somewhere in the body automatically pump blood as a result.
The fact that the function of the heart is to pump blood has more meaning than just that it pumps blood.
If “sophisticated” in this usage just means “complex”, I’m not sure that I can get behind the idea that complex theories or policies are just better than simple ones in any meaningful way.
There may be a tendency for more complex and complicated positions to end up being better, because complexity is a signal that somebody spent a lot of time and effort on something, but Timecube is a pretty complex theory and I don’t count that as being a plus.
Complexity or “sophistication” can cut the other way just as easily, as somebody adds spandrels to a model to cover up its fundamental insufficiency.
I don’t know. I try to root out beliefs that follow that general form and replace them, e.g. “the heart pumps blood” is a testable factual statement, and a basic observation, which semantically carries all the same useful information without relying on the word “function” which implies some kind of designed intent.
I haven’t argued that A is just better than B.
Yes, and I see that as a flaw that’s the result of thinking of everything in Bayesian terms.
When the lungs expand that process also leads to pumping of blood. Most processes that change the pressure somewhere in the body automatically pump blood as a result. The fact that the function of the heart is to pump blood has more meaning than just that it pumps blood.