[ExI] The subjectivity of entropy, the role of the observer...==> Rational metaethics

[Jef Allbright]

On Fri, Feb 29, 2008 at 9:26 AM, Lee Corbin <lcorbin at rawbw.com> wrote:
> Jef writes

>  > It's evident to me that Eliezer has recently (in the last several
>  > weeks) reached a new (to him) threshold in his epistemology.
>  > I was hopeful of this; now I'm glad.
>
>  Yass, he ought to be up to your level in no time.

He's gone past me in several relevant areas of analysis.  I care most
about certain areas of synthesis where I wasn't certain whether he'd
escape the hold of reductionism.


>  Or, on the other hand, it's possible that he might be *wrong*
>  about a detail here or there. I'm sure you don't deny the
>  possibility.

See my comment about synthesis.  Reconsider your comment in terms of
Maximum Entropy descriptions of "reality" and ask yourself whether
Einstein had probable cause to worry that "details" wouldn't match his
most comprehensive theories.

<snips>


>  >> But don't you believe that the system ITSELF has certain
>  >> properties and characteristics? Surely you haven't
>  >> abandoned realism entirely.
>  >
>  > Lee, the answers you get are subject to the questions you (are
>  > prepared to) ask.
>
>  :-)   And I suppose that I'll have to be satisfied with that Zen-like
>  answer.

My "Zen-like" response was intended as a direct and specific response
to your question.
To spell it out:  The "properties and characteristics" one observes
are subject to the nature of the experiment/question (and by
extension, the nature of the experimenter/questioner.)

[It worked also on at least two other levels.]

- Jef