I think that the very existence of “Roko’s Basilisk” is a great example of the difference between theories and dogmas.
If your theory about the world postulates something supremely bizarre and of dubiously possibility, like an “acausal trade” between a far future supercomputer and a 21st century amateur logician, then you need to sit down and work over your theory. Gather as much evidence as you can, consult with experts in the field, ponder where you might have gone wrong and at which scales your theory is accurate; in other words, generally approach the issue from a skeptical viewpoint. You can, and very well may, confirm that the bizarre postulate is true and the theory is accurate after such a process. But most of the time you’ll find you’ve just run into the limitations of your theory.
If your dogma makes a bizarre and dubiously possible claim… well, I guess it’s time to dig out the ’ole checkbook. Or take a page from Dan Brown’s Opus Dei and make sure no-one ever uncovers the evil secret that can damn your immortal s… -imulation, yeah simulation.
Is it okay to admit that TDT might just not be capable of providing the correct answer to time-travel related Newcomb-like Pascal’s dilemmas? Seriously, that’s not exactly the most glaring weakness a decision theory could have; it’s like getting bent out of shape that your Sedan can’t drive along the bottom of the Marianas Trench. If this is, as the name indicates, just an application of game theory devised by clever yet fallible humans, then we really ought to doubt the map before we take it’s “Here be Dragons” seriously.
I think that the very existence of “Roko’s Basilisk” is a great example of the difference between theories and dogmas.
If your theory about the world postulates something supremely bizarre and of dubiously possibility, like an “acausal trade” between a far future supercomputer and a 21st century amateur logician, then you need to sit down and work over your theory. Gather as much evidence as you can, consult with experts in the field, ponder where you might have gone wrong and at which scales your theory is accurate; in other words, generally approach the issue from a skeptical viewpoint. You can, and very well may, confirm that the bizarre postulate is true and the theory is accurate after such a process. But most of the time you’ll find you’ve just run into the limitations of your theory.
If your dogma makes a bizarre and dubiously possible claim… well, I guess it’s time to dig out the ’ole checkbook. Or take a page from Dan Brown’s Opus Dei and make sure no-one ever uncovers the evil secret that can damn your immortal s… -imulation, yeah simulation.
Is it okay to admit that TDT might just not be capable of providing the correct answer to time-travel related Newcomb-like Pascal’s dilemmas? Seriously, that’s not exactly the most glaring weakness a decision theory could have; it’s like getting bent out of shape that your Sedan can’t drive along the bottom of the Marianas Trench. If this is, as the name indicates, just an application of game theory devised by clever yet fallible humans, then we really ought to doubt the map before we take it’s “Here be Dragons” seriously.
I agree. This doesn’t mean one shouldn’t investigate further the absurd to see what comes out of it.