We propose a critique of normativism, defined as the idea that human thinking reflects a normative system against which it should be measured and judged.
The average human brain has a measurable ability to turn nutrients into heat, dependent on circumstances it is in. The average human brain has a measurable ability to turn evidence into true conclusions, dependent on circumstances it is in.
There is an infinity of possible utility functions, with all sorts of goals. Among those are some with ultimate or instrumental goals of producing heat from nutrients and/or true conclusions from evidence. Also among those are some with ultimate or instrumental goals of having ultimate and/or instrumental goals of producing heat from nutrients and/or true conclusions from evidence, and so on.
The laws of the universe are not such that every being with a utility function has one of the utility functions with a relationship to producing heat from nutrients and/or true conclusions from evidence. I agree with the paper’s authors on this, though I have thought this part of normativism.
I happen to have producing true conclusions from evidence as a goal. Many other beings near me seem to too, a fact I think is important—this justifies acting like a normativist. Do you think reading this paper will help me reach that goal, or would that only do things I don’t care about, like convert nutrients to heat?
The average human brain has a measurable ability to turn nutrients into heat, dependent on circumstances it is in. The average human brain has a measurable ability to turn evidence into true conclusions, dependent on circumstances it is in.
There is an infinity of possible utility functions, with all sorts of goals. Among those are some with ultimate or instrumental goals of producing heat from nutrients and/or true conclusions from evidence. Also among those are some with ultimate or instrumental goals of having ultimate and/or instrumental goals of producing heat from nutrients and/or true conclusions from evidence, and so on.
The laws of the universe are not such that every being with a utility function has one of the utility functions with a relationship to producing heat from nutrients and/or true conclusions from evidence. I agree with the paper’s authors on this, though I have thought this part of normativism.
I happen to have producing true conclusions from evidence as a goal. Many other beings near me seem to too, a fact I think is important—this justifies acting like a normativist. Do you think reading this paper will help me reach that goal, or would that only do things I don’t care about, like convert nutrients to heat?