There are analogues of the classic biases in our own utility functions, it is a blind spot to hold our preferences as we perceive them to be sacrosanct. Just as we can be mistaken about the correct solution to Monty Hall, so can we be mistaken about our own values. It’s a treasure trove for rational self-analysis.
We have an easy enough time of figuring out how a religious belief is blatantly ridiculous because we find some claim it makes that’s contrary to the evidence. But say someone takes out all such obviously false claims, or take a patriot, someone who professes to just deeply care about his country, or his bat mitzvah, or her white wedding, or what have you. Even then, there is more cognitive exploration to be had there than just shrugging and saying “can’t argue with his/her utility function”.
The quote does some work in that direction. From a certain point of view, altruism is the last, most persistent bias. Far from “there is a light in the world, and we are it”—rather the final glowing ember on the bonfire of irrationality. But that’s a long post in and of itself. Shrug, if you don’t see it as a rationality quote, just downvote it.
I truly am torn on the matter. LW has caused a good amount of self-modification away from that position, not in the sense of diminishing the arguments’ credence, but in the sense of “so what, that’s not the belief I want to hold” (which, while generally quite dangerous, may be necessary with a few select “holy belief cows”)*.
That personal information notwithstanding, I don’t think we should only present arguments supporting positions we are convinced of. That—given a somewhat homogeneous group composition—would amount to an echo chamber, and in any case knock out Aumann’s agreement theorem.
* Ironic, is it not? Analogous to “shut up and do the impossible” a case of instrumental versus epistemic rationality.
There are analogues of the classic biases in our own utility functions, it is a blind spot to hold our preferences as we perceive them to be sacrosanct. Just as we can be mistaken about the correct solution to Monty Hall, so can we be mistaken about our own values. It’s a treasure trove for rational self-analysis.
We have an easy enough time of figuring out how a religious belief is blatantly ridiculous because we find some claim it makes that’s contrary to the evidence. But say someone takes out all such obviously false claims, or take a patriot, someone who professes to just deeply care about his country, or his bat mitzvah, or her white wedding, or what have you. Even then, there is more cognitive exploration to be had there than just shrugging and saying “can’t argue with his/her utility function”.
The quote does some work in that direction. From a certain point of view, altruism is the last, most persistent bias. Far from “there is a light in the world, and we are it”—rather the final glowing ember on the bonfire of irrationality. But that’s a long post in and of itself. Shrug, if you don’t see it as a rationality quote, just downvote it.
Whose? You seem reluctant to stand by the nihilism you are preaching.
I truly am torn on the matter. LW has caused a good amount of self-modification away from that position, not in the sense of diminishing the arguments’ credence, but in the sense of “so what, that’s not the belief I want to hold” (which, while generally quite dangerous, may be necessary with a few select “holy belief cows”)*.
That personal information notwithstanding, I don’t think we should only present arguments supporting positions we are convinced of. That—given a somewhat homogeneous group composition—would amount to an echo chamber, and in any case knock out Aumann’s agreement theorem.
* Ironic, is it not? Analogous to “shut up and do the impossible” a case of instrumental versus epistemic rationality.