Most importantly, going meta often a mistake when trying to solve real-world problems. Going meta again is almost always a mistake.
This?
To be concrete, when I work as a lawyer, the actual meaning of the rules is usually the only important level of analysis.
It seems very plausible that going meta would be particularly unhelpful in a field that’s all about negotiating—and ensuring compliance with—precedent and explicit rules. Compare to a field where the problem that needs to be solved is one caused by precedent and explicit rules.
My main point was that meta-meta level (the part you didn’t quote) is very seldom useful in solving problems. My sense is that Will is too willing to go to that level.
I don’t agree with your point about what the practice of law is like, but that isn’t important. With certain types of problems, one level of meta is useful very frequently, with other types of problems much less so. It depends a lot on context. In particular circumstances, I think most thoughtful people could come to agreement on the usefulness of meta level analysis (i.e. policy arguments). But Will is particularly poorly calibrated on the usefulness of meta arguments. Most of society under-relies on meta-level analysis. Will seems to over-rely on it.
Is your only evidence for this:
This?
It seems very plausible that going meta would be particularly unhelpful in a field that’s all about negotiating—and ensuring compliance with—precedent and explicit rules. Compare to a field where the problem that needs to be solved is one caused by precedent and explicit rules.
My main point was that meta-meta level (the part you didn’t quote) is very seldom useful in solving problems. My sense is that Will is too willing to go to that level.
I don’t agree with your point about what the practice of law is like, but that isn’t important. With certain types of problems, one level of meta is useful very frequently, with other types of problems much less so. It depends a lot on context. In particular circumstances, I think most thoughtful people could come to agreement on the usefulness of meta level analysis (i.e. policy arguments). But Will is particularly poorly calibrated on the usefulness of meta arguments. Most of society under-relies on meta-level analysis. Will seems to over-rely on it.
How would you know how well I’m calibrated?