all that I really want to avoid is an answer like “I would use all my detailed 21-st century scientific knowledge to do something that a native couldn’t possibly do”.
How about “I would use all my detailed 21-st century scientific knowledge to be concerned about something that a native couldn’t possibly be concerned about”?
For example, if you were trying to avoid suffering: “I would kill 12 year old Hitler” isn’t very interesting, but “I would do BLAH to improve European relations” or “There’s nothing I could do” are interesting.
I didn’t mean that example to refer to original question; I just wanted to demonstrate a vague but somewhat intuitive difference between “fair” and “unfair” use of future knowledge.
How about “I would use all my detailed 21-st century scientific knowledge to be concerned about something that a native couldn’t possibly be concerned about”?
Sure, if it leads to an interesting point.
For example, if you were trying to avoid suffering: “I would kill 12 year old Hitler” isn’t very interesting, but “I would do BLAH to improve European relations” or “There’s nothing I could do” are interesting.
Did you mean 1800 or 1900?
I didn’t mean that example to refer to original question; I just wanted to demonstrate a vague but somewhat intuitive difference between “fair” and “unfair” use of future knowledge.