[extropy-chat] Superrationality

[Russell Wallace]

On 5/20/06, Lee Corbin <lcorbin at tsoft.com> wrote:
>
> Yes, but then if we want to reason outside the boxes (as it were),
> then one may wish to take only one box in Newcomb's Paradox in order
> to show that one is a nice guy, or that one is not greedy, or some
> other irrelevant consideration.


But that's the whole point.

1) Solution(Equation X) = Y. So what?

2) What we should do = defect. What the fuck? No way! People are foul
hideous monsters if they contemplate that!! I hate humanity!!! Mathematics
isn't true!!!! (Hofstadter's words, in fairly reasonably accurate paraphrase
if my memory is even vaguely on the same continent as the mark.)

But #1 does not in any way imply #2. The only way you can conclude anything
about real life from #1 is by putting in the "outside the box" stuff that
makes it realistic. And when you do that, #2 stops applying.
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