The curtain opens on a ground level apartment stocked with books and computers. The room is dimly lit by a small lamp and the glow of monitors, revealing a large desk. Rain sits at the desk, rocking.
Omega, along with a table holding two boxes, appears behind Rain with an audible poof.
Rain:
Omega: Hello, Rain. I am Omega. I have before me two boxes, A and B..
Rain: Wait, wait.. you’re the Omega? The superintelligent predictor who knows everything and never lies and all that?
Omega: Yes, I’m that Omega. Now, as I was saying, I have before me..
Rain: Honestly, I’m not all that interested in Newcomb’s problem, but I would like to ask you some questions, if that’s okay?
Omega: Okay. Shoot.
Rain: What should I value? What’s the universal, terminal value which all intelligent beings should follow?
Omega: I’m sorry, I don’t know of any universal, terminal value.
Rain: What? But I’ve set my personal, terminal value to “universal, terminal values (even though I don’t know what they are yet).”
Omega: I would suggest picking something else. There aren’t any universal, terminal values. Are you sure you don’t want to pick a box..?
Rain: But if my terminal value is universal value, and.. and you’re telling me that the set of universal values is an empty or null set.. my value is a null set.. so how could you put utilons in a box for me?
Omega: I can put utilons in the box using your implicit values, rather than following your lack of explicit values. You may feel and think your value set is empty, but I can still pick something to put in there because you still have values, even if you haven’t named them.
Rain: But if it’s not what I think and feel that I value, this proper, universal thing, then wouldn’t it be some kind of primal, vestigial, evolution-formed, arbitrary, irrational value?
Omega: Why would it be irrational? You’ve already got all those values. You could pick something from the list and make it explicit, name it and make it your own, but you’ve chosen not to do that, and you have to live with the consequences. I’d really suggest one-boxing, by the way. You could use a pick-me-up.
Rain: But if I should follow my intuition, if I should trust the values I’ve been given, the values I feel, then.. why did I choose universal value to be the thing I trust and value above all others? Why did I choose an empty set? Is my intuition broken?
Omega: Look, I’ll tell you what’s in the box.. it’s a brand new laptop! Still wrapped! You love setting up new computers.
Rain: …and if my intuition is broken, how do I fix it? Once I’ve cast my value into the void, how do I get it back?
Omega: I don’t know, if I knew that I’d..
Rain: Hey! You’re not really Omega at all, are you?
“Omega”:
The Analysis:
Rain has likely read the metaethics sequence. I think they understood most of it, though they found it hard to apply. It’s not exactly their fault, of course. Ethics, morality, value.. this is hard stuff—it’s been debated for millenia. It doesn’t help that there are so many answers, none of them quite satisfactory.
But sitting around in a holding pattern doesn’t do much good, either. Once they cast their value into the void, they left themselves empty. Something needs to fill them up: they need value to survive and thrive. It doesn’t seem they’re willing to follow explicitly stated values, though. Why write a play about the problem after they’ve already recognized other options? Can they really hold onto this “universal” nonsense, knowing, intellectually, the futility of it, and after realizing they do have values which are easier to obtain?
“Universal” must have a strong hold on them; it’d be so much simpler, and so much easier, if there were some kind of Written Law to follow. Not this messy business of thinking, evaluating, and acting subjectively, based on individual understanding. Is it just laziness, then? Akrasia? But they’ve certainly put a lot of thought and effort into the problem, making that unlikely.
Maybe depression. Ah, that could be the answer. They feel empty, and they think that’s what they value, this emptiness, when it’s actually some kind of mental infestation. They did have a good question, though.. how to fix it? They don’t seem responsive to offers of help. Maybe introspection could bring light to the void?
At the very least, it might be an interesting read.
Time spent writing this post: several hours over a period of weeks. Time spent thinking on this topic: years.
I’d like to especially thank byrnema for providing inspiration and impetus to consolidate my thoughts. Their comments regarding value were very useful to me. I’d also like to thank Alicorn for providing the perfect location and topic to respond to.
The Play: It’s Too Dark In Here
The Players:
Rain: an aspiring rationalist
Omega: a super-powerful predictor
The Scene:
The curtain opens on a ground level apartment stocked with books and computers. The room is dimly lit by a small lamp and the glow of monitors, revealing a large desk. Rain sits at the desk, rocking.
Omega, along with a table holding two boxes, appears behind Rain with an audible poof.
Rain:
Omega: Hello, Rain. I am Omega. I have before me two boxes, A and B..
Rain: Wait, wait.. you’re the Omega? The superintelligent predictor who knows everything and never lies and all that?
Omega: Yes, I’m that Omega. Now, as I was saying, I have before me..
Rain: Honestly, I’m not all that interested in Newcomb’s problem, but I would like to ask you some questions, if that’s okay?
Omega: Okay. Shoot.
Rain: What should I value? What’s the universal, terminal value which all intelligent beings should follow?
Omega: I’m sorry, I don’t know of any universal, terminal value.
Rain: What? But I’ve set my personal, terminal value to “universal, terminal values (even though I don’t know what they are yet).”
Omega: I would suggest picking something else. There aren’t any universal, terminal values. Are you sure you don’t want to pick a box..?
Rain: But if my terminal value is universal value, and.. and you’re telling me that the set of universal values is an empty or null set.. my value is a null set.. so how could you put utilons in a box for me?
Omega: I can put utilons in the box using your implicit values, rather than following your lack of explicit values. You may feel and think your value set is empty, but I can still pick something to put in there because you still have values, even if you haven’t named them.
Rain: But if it’s not what I think and feel that I value, this proper, universal thing, then wouldn’t it be some kind of primal, vestigial, evolution-formed, arbitrary, irrational value?
Omega: Why would it be irrational? You’ve already got all those values. You could pick something from the list and make it explicit, name it and make it your own, but you’ve chosen not to do that, and you have to live with the consequences. I’d really suggest one-boxing, by the way. You could use a pick-me-up.
Rain: But if I should follow my intuition, if I should trust the values I’ve been given, the values I feel, then.. why did I choose universal value to be the thing I trust and value above all others? Why did I choose an empty set? Is my intuition broken?
Omega: Look, I’ll tell you what’s in the box.. it’s a brand new laptop! Still wrapped! You love setting up new computers.
Rain: …and if my intuition is broken, how do I fix it? Once I’ve cast my value into the void, how do I get it back?
Omega: I don’t know, if I knew that I’d..
Rain: Hey! You’re not really Omega at all, are you?
“Omega”:
The Analysis:
Rain has likely read the metaethics sequence. I think they understood most of it, though they found it hard to apply. It’s not exactly their fault, of course. Ethics, morality, value.. this is hard stuff—it’s been debated for millenia. It doesn’t help that there are so many answers, none of them quite satisfactory.
But sitting around in a holding pattern doesn’t do much good, either. Once they cast their value into the void, they left themselves empty. Something needs to fill them up: they need value to survive and thrive. It doesn’t seem they’re willing to follow explicitly stated values, though. Why write a play about the problem after they’ve already recognized other options? Can they really hold onto this “universal” nonsense, knowing, intellectually, the futility of it, and after realizing they do have values which are easier to obtain?
“Universal” must have a strong hold on them; it’d be so much simpler, and so much easier, if there were some kind of Written Law to follow. Not this messy business of thinking, evaluating, and acting subjectively, based on individual understanding. Is it just laziness, then? Akrasia? But they’ve certainly put a lot of thought and effort into the problem, making that unlikely.
Maybe depression. Ah, that could be the answer. They feel empty, and they think that’s what they value, this emptiness, when it’s actually some kind of mental infestation. They did have a good question, though.. how to fix it? They don’t seem responsive to offers of help. Maybe introspection could bring light to the void?
At the very least, it might be an interesting read.
Time spent writing this post: several hours over a period of weeks. Time spent thinking on this topic: years.
I’d like to especially thank byrnema for providing inspiration and impetus to consolidate my thoughts. Their comments regarding value were very useful to me. I’d also like to thank Alicorn for providing the perfect location and topic to respond to.