Forgive me, as I am brand new to LW. Where is it defined that an epistemic rationalist can’t seek epistemic rationality as a means of living a good life (or for some other reason) rather than as a terminal goal? Is there an Académie française of rationalists that takes away your card if you use ER as a means to an end?
I’m working off this quote from EY as my definition of ER. This definition seems silent on the means-end question.
Epistemic rationality: believing, and updating on evidence, so as to systematically improve the correspondence between your map and the territory. The art of obtaining beliefs that correspond to reality as closely as possible. This correspondence is commonly termed “truth” or “accuracy”, and we’re happy to call it that.
This definition is agnostic on motivations for seeking rationality. Epistemic rationality is just seeking truth. You can do this because you want to get rich or get laid or get status or go to the moon or establish a better government or business. People’s motivations for doing what they do are complex. Try as I might, I don’t think I’ll ever fully understand why my primate brain does it what it does. And I don’t think anyone’s primate brain is seeking truth for its own sake and for no other reasons.
Also, arguing about definitions is the least useful form of philosophy, so if that’s the direction we’re going, I’m tapping out.
But I will say that if the only people the Académie française of rationalists deems worthy of calling themselves epistemic rationalists are those with pure, untainted motivations of seeking truth for its own sake and for no other reasons, then I suspect that the class of epistemic rationalists is an empty set.
[And yes, I understand that instrumentality is about the actions you choose. But my point is about motivations, not actions.]
Forgive me, as I am brand new to LW. Where is it defined that an epistemic rationalist can’t seek epistemic rationality as a means of living a good life (or for some other reason) rather than as a terminal goal?
From the wiki:-
Epistemic rationality is that part of rationality which involves achieving accurate beliefs about the world. ….. It can be seen as a form of instrumental rationality in which knowledge and truth are goals in themselves, whereas in other forms of instrumental rationality, knowledge and truth are only potential aids to achieving goals.
I think of ER as sharpening the axe. not sure how many trees I will cut down or when, but with a sharp axe I will cut them down swiftly and with ease. I think of IR as actually getting down to swinging the axe. Both are needed. ER is a good terminal goal because it enables the other goals to happen more freely. Even if you don’t know the other goals, having a sharper axe helps you be prepared to cut the tree when you find it.
Forgive me, as I am brand new to LW. Where is it defined that an epistemic rationalist can’t seek epistemic rationality as a means of living a good life (or for some other reason) rather than as a terminal goal? Is there an Académie française of rationalists that takes away your card if you use ER as a means to an end?
I’m working off this quote from EY as my definition of ER. This definition seems silent on the means-end question.
This definition is agnostic on motivations for seeking rationality. Epistemic rationality is just seeking truth. You can do this because you want to get rich or get laid or get status or go to the moon or establish a better government or business. People’s motivations for doing what they do are complex. Try as I might, I don’t think I’ll ever fully understand why my primate brain does it what it does. And I don’t think anyone’s primate brain is seeking truth for its own sake and for no other reasons.
Also, arguing about definitions is the least useful form of philosophy, so if that’s the direction we’re going, I’m tapping out.
But I will say that if the only people the Académie française of rationalists deems worthy of calling themselves epistemic rationalists are those with pure, untainted motivations of seeking truth for its own sake and for no other reasons, then I suspect that the class of epistemic rationalists is an empty set.
[And yes, I understand that instrumentality is about the actions you choose. But my point is about motivations, not actions.]
From the wiki:-
ER vs IR. I am not sure what your question is.
I think of ER as sharpening the axe. not sure how many trees I will cut down or when, but with a sharp axe I will cut them down swiftly and with ease. I think of IR as actually getting down to swinging the axe. Both are needed. ER is a good terminal goal because it enables the other goals to happen more freely. Even if you don’t know the other goals, having a sharper axe helps you be prepared to cut the tree when you find it.