So my theory is that Harry is going to threaten to do something that seems extremely bad to the Wizengamot, but not to Harry (i.e. a taboo); something that’s so taboo that they’re willing to let Hermione go free even though they think she’s an attempted murderer (another taboo).
No idea what the threat is going to be, though. Something like going over to Voldermort? Making a credible committment to not participating in his prophesied duties?
As opposed to Philip Tetlock’s notion of a taboo tradeoff? Which is, in gist, anything that people refuse to do cost-benefit analysis about. Consider the common revulsion to setting a dollar value on a human life — or asking someone in Western society to sell their child.
I don’t think the title analyzes as “(You should) taboo (the word) ‘tradeoff’.”
No idea what the threat is going to be, though. Something like going over to Voldermort? Making a credible committment to not participating in his prophesied duties?
The Wizengamot has no idea Voldemort is still alive and Harry hasn’t yet finished fulfilling his duties (or that there even was a prophecy). If Harry tried to tell them, or even if Dumbledore tried to tell them, they’d probably disbelieve (as in canon). And Lucius thinks Harry is Voldemort, it’s no threat at all to him.
The title of the arc is “Taboo Tradeoffs”.
So my theory is that Harry is going to threaten to do something that seems extremely bad to the Wizengamot, but not to Harry (i.e. a taboo); something that’s so taboo that they’re willing to let Hermione go free even though they think she’s an attempted murderer (another taboo).
No idea what the threat is going to be, though. Something like going over to Voldermort? Making a credible committment to not participating in his prophesied duties?
The use of “taboo” here is intended to match the Less Wrong usage of taboo, so the title can possibly be read:
EDIT: The above is speculation, and probably wrong in retrospect.
As opposed to Philip Tetlock’s notion of a taboo tradeoff? Which is, in gist, anything that people refuse to do cost-benefit analysis about. Consider the common revulsion to setting a dollar value on a human life — or asking someone in Western society to sell their child.
I don’t think the title analyzes as “(You should) taboo (the word) ‘tradeoff’.”
Interesting. “Taboo X” is such a familiar pattern here, I had assumed that was what it meant.
In retrospect, if that’s what the title meant, it would probably have been spelled:
The Wizengamot has no idea Voldemort is still alive and Harry hasn’t yet finished fulfilling his duties (or that there even was a prophecy). If Harry tried to tell them, or even if Dumbledore tried to tell them, they’d probably disbelieve (as in canon). And Lucius thinks Harry is Voldemort, it’s no threat at all to him.