Re: Rationality of Disagreement (Was: Status of Superrationality)

From: Eliezer S. Yudkowsky (sentience@pobox.com)
Date: Sat May 31 2003 - 05:23:57 MDT

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    Robin Hanson wrote:
    > Rafal Smigrodzki responded to Eliezer S. Yudkowsky re my paper:
    >
    >>>> Certainly a quite complex article. I think that what you quoted
    >>>> above means that the Bayesian would treat the output of another
    >>>> Bayesian as data of the same validity as the output of his own
    >>>> reasoning. ... In effect, his beliefs are as valid an input for
    >>>> your future reasoning as your own sensory ... subsystem outputs.
    >>>
    >>> Bear in mind that one should distinguish between *real*, *genuine*
    >>> Bayesians like AIXI, and mere Bayesian wannabes like every
    >>> physically realized being in our Universe.
    >>>
    >>> Bear in mind also that the above result holds only if you believe
    >>> with absolute certainty (itself a very non-Bayesian thing) that the
    >>> Bayesian's reasoning processes are perfect.
    >>
    >> ### But why? If I believe with some reasonable certainty that the
    >> other Bayesian is a perfect as myself, and then some more (to account
    >> for my lack of absolute certainty that he is what I think he is),
    >> then I should still assign the same level of trustworthiness to his
    >> beliefs as to mine.
    >
    > Let me echo Rafal; you should find their reasoning as useful as your
    > own as long as they are as reliable as you. They need not be perfect.

    Yes, correct. Sorry. I was thinking of a perfect Bayesian trying to use
    the results of another Bayesian (who must therefore be perfect).

    I do think you require certainty of honesty, though (or am I mistaken?).

    -- 
    Eliezer S. Yudkowsky                          http://singinst.org/
    Research Fellow, Singularity Institute for Artificial Intelligence
    


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