Consider a possible self-improvement that changes your inference system in such a way that it (1) becomes significantly more efficient at inferring the kinds of facts that help you with making right decisions, and (2) obtains an additional tiny chance of being inconsistent. If all you care about is correctness, then notice that implementing this self-improvement will make you less correct, will increase the probability that you’ll produce incorrect inferences in the future. On the other hand, expected utility of this decision argues that you should take it. This is a conflict, resolved either by self-improving or not.
That’s fair. Yes, agreed that this is a decision between maximizing my odds of being logical and maximizing my odds of being right, which is a legitimate example of the conflict you implied. And I guess I agree that if being right has high utility then it’s best to choose what’s right.
And I guess I agree that if being right has high utility then it’s best to choose what’s right.
Seeking high utility is right (and following rules of logic is right), not the other way around. “Right” is the unreachable standard by which things should be, which “utility” is merely a heuristic for representation of.
In a decision between what’s logical and what’s right, you ought to choose what’s right.
If you can summarize your reasons for thinking that’s actually a conflict that can arise for me, I’d be very interested in them.
Consider a possible self-improvement that changes your inference system in such a way that it (1) becomes significantly more efficient at inferring the kinds of facts that help you with making right decisions, and (2) obtains an additional tiny chance of being inconsistent. If all you care about is correctness, then notice that implementing this self-improvement will make you less correct, will increase the probability that you’ll produce incorrect inferences in the future. On the other hand, expected utility of this decision argues that you should take it. This is a conflict, resolved either by self-improving or not.
That’s fair. Yes, agreed that this is a decision between maximizing my odds of being logical and maximizing my odds of being right, which is a legitimate example of the conflict you implied. And I guess I agree that if being right has high utility then it’s best to choose what’s right.
Thanks.
Seeking high utility is right (and following rules of logic is right), not the other way around. “Right” is the unreachable standard by which things should be, which “utility” is merely a heuristic for representation of.
It isn’t clear to me what that statement, or its negation, actually implies about the world. But I certainly don’t think it’s false.