I’ve argued before that CEV is just a generic method for solving confusing problems (simulate a bunch of smart and self-improving people and ask them what the answers are), and the concept (as opposed to the actual running of it) offers no specific insights into the nature of morality.
In the case of “if a tree falls in the forest and no one’s there, does it make a sound?”, “extrapolating” would work pretty well, I think. The extrapolation could start with someone totally confused about what sound is (e.g., “it’s something that God created to let me hear things”), and then move on a confused jumble of “vibrations of air” and “auditory experiences”, and then to the understanding that by “sound” people sometimes mean “vibrations” and sometimes “experiences” and sometimes are just confused.
ETA: I agree with Chris it’s not clear what the connection between your comment and the post is. Can you explain?
I admit the connection is pretty vague. Chris mentioned “skill at understanding humans”, that made me recall Eliezer’s sequence on words, and something just clicked I guess. Sorry for derailing the discussion.
I’ve argued before that CEV is just a generic method for solving confusing problems (simulate a bunch of smart and self-improving people and ask them what the answers are), and the concept (as opposed to the actual running of it) offers no specific insights into the nature of morality.
In the case of “if a tree falls in the forest and no one’s there, does it make a sound?”, “extrapolating” would work pretty well, I think. The extrapolation could start with someone totally confused about what sound is (e.g., “it’s something that God created to let me hear things”), and then move on a confused jumble of “vibrations of air” and “auditory experiences”, and then to the understanding that by “sound” people sometimes mean “vibrations” and sometimes “experiences” and sometimes are just confused.
ETA: I agree with Chris it’s not clear what the connection between your comment and the post is. Can you explain?
I admit the connection is pretty vague. Chris mentioned “skill at understanding humans”, that made me recall Eliezer’s sequence on words, and something just clicked I guess. Sorry for derailing the discussion.