We might be living in a simulation. If we are, then as Eliezer pointed out himself, we have no idea what kind of physics exist in the “real world.” In fact, there is no reason to assume any likeness at all between our world and the real world. For example, the fundamental entities in the real world could be intelligent beings, instead of quarks. If so, then there could be some “shadowy figure” after all. This might be passing the buck, but at least it would be passing it back to somewhere where we can’t say anything about it anymore.
This might be passing the buck, but at least it would be passing it back to somewhere where we can’t say anything about it anymore.
That doesn’t help. If there’s a reason why intelligence would exist in a world where it’s not fundamental, and we know nothing about what is fundamental in this outer world, it would be an awfully big coincidence for intelligence to be fundamental.
If you want to pass the buck well, you pass it from a place where it can’t be explained to somewhere it can. You just passed from somewhere it can be explained (inextricable product to evolution) to somewhere it can’t (fundamental force just happens to do that).
We might be living in a simulation. If we are, then as Eliezer pointed out himself, we have no idea what kind of physics exist in the “real world.” In fact, there is no reason to assume any likeness at all between our world and the real world. For example, the fundamental entities in the real world could be intelligent beings, instead of quarks. If so, then there could be some “shadowy figure” after all. This might be passing the buck, but at least it would be passing it back to somewhere where we can’t say anything about it anymore.
That doesn’t help. If there’s a reason why intelligence would exist in a world where it’s not fundamental, and we know nothing about what is fundamental in this outer world, it would be an awfully big coincidence for intelligence to be fundamental.
If you want to pass the buck well, you pass it from a place where it can’t be explained to somewhere it can. You just passed from somewhere it can be explained (inextricable product to evolution) to somewhere it can’t (fundamental force just happens to do that).