We know well enough what people mean by “world”—the stuff they care about. The fact that physics keeps on happening if humanity is snuffed out is no comfort at all to me or to most humans.
Arguing epistemology is not going to prevent a nuclear apocalypse or us being wiped out by the new intelligent species we are inventing. The fact that you don’t know what’s happening on the other side of the world has no bearing on existential dangers facing those people. That’s what I mean by saving the world, and I expect what the author meant. This is a different thing than just helping people by your own values and estimates.
I very much agree that pithy mysterious statements for others to argue over is not a good use of the quick takes here.
We know well enough what people mean by “world”—the stuff they care about. The fact that physics keeps on happening if humanity is snuffed out is no comfort at all to me or to most humans.
Arguing epistemology is not going to prevent a nuclear apocalypse or us being wiped out by the new intelligent species we are inventing. The fact that you don’t know what’s happening on the other side of the world has no bearing on existential dangers facing those people. That’s what I mean by saving the world, and I expect what the author meant. This is a different thing than just helping people by your own values and estimates.
I very much agree that pithy mysterious statements for others to argue over is not a good use of the quick takes here.