From: Robin Hanson (rhanson@gmu.edu)
Date: Wed Jun 18 2003 - 07:38:16 MDT
At 11:04 PM 6/17/2003 -0400, Eliezer S. Yudkowsky wrote:
>>... different people work on different topics, and hope to combine their
>>results later. When discussing each topic, one tries to minimize the
>>dependencies of results in this area to results in other areas. ... I am
>>trying to make our discussion of "why believe in truth" be modular with
>>respect to the very contrarian position that our goals are very different
>>from what evolution has given us, or that the world will soon be very
>>different from what evolution has adapted to. The fact that you and I
>>might happen to agree with this contrarian position is besides the
>>point. My first priority is to make our conversation be accessible and
>>relevant to the majority who do not share this contrarian position.
>
>Deliberately strive for modularity? In a consilient universe? There is
>only ever one explanation. In it, all the pieces fit together perfectly,
>without strain. Any divisions in that explanation are artificial - human
>biases. I would not take it as a good sign if my theories about one part
>of cognitive science were consonant with many possible alternatives
>elsewhere; it would be a sign that the theory was inadequately constrained
>by the evidence. ... Your first priority should be to discover what the
>real answer is about the usefulness of rationality. bWhen you know the
>real answer, then worry about how to explain it ... This is one of the
>reasons why I am not an academic...
Sure there is only one total explanation, but are you Eliezer S. Yudkowsky
going to discover all of its parts by yourself and then reveal them all to
the world in one grand revelation? We are rich, in knowledge as in other
things, because of a division of labor. You need to work with many other
people to discover the one true explanation. So you need to find a place
within this division of labor where others can appreciate your
contributions and you can appreciate theirs. I fear you have fallen for
the "Dream of Autarky" (http://hanson.gmu.edu/dreamautarky.html).
Robin Hanson rhanson@gmu.edu http://hanson.gmu.edu
Assistant Professor of Economics, George Mason University
MSN 1D3, Carow Hall, Fairfax VA 22030-4444
703-993-2326 FAX: 703-993-2323
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