With complete information (and a big computer) an observer would know which way the coin would land—and would find probabilities irrelevant.
But this is true of most everyday observations. We observe events on a level far removed from the subatomic level. With complete information and infinite computing power an observer would would find all or virtually all ordinary human-level observations irrelevant. But irrelevancy to such an observer is not the same thing as non-reality. For example, the existence of elephants would be irrelevant to an observer who has complete information on the subatomic level and sufficient computing power to deal with it. But it does not follow that elephants do not exist. Do you think it follows that elephants do not exist?
The probabilities arise from ignorance and lack of computing power—properties of observers, not properties of the observed.
The concept of an elephant could with equal reason be said to arise from ignorance and lack of computing power. I can certainly understand that a thought such as, “the elephant likes peanuts, therefore it will accept this peanut” is a much easier thought to entertain than a thought that infallibly tracks every subatomic particle in its body and in the environment around it. So, certainly, the concept of an elephant is a wonderful shortcut. But I’m not so sure about getting from this to the conclusion that elephants (like probability) are subjective. Do you think that elephants are subjective?
With complete information (and a big computer) an observer would know which way the coin would land—and would find probabilities irrelevant.
But this is true of most everyday observations. We observe events on a level far removed from the subatomic level. With complete information and infinite computing power an observer would would find all or virtually all ordinary human-level observations irrelevant. But irrelevancy to such an observer is not the same thing as non-reality. For example, the existence of elephants would be irrelevant to an observer who has complete information on the subatomic level and sufficient computing power to deal with it. But it does not follow that elephants do not exist. Do you think it follows that elephants do not exist?
The probabilities arise from ignorance and lack of computing power—properties of observers, not properties of the observed.
The concept of an elephant could with equal reason be said to arise from ignorance and lack of computing power. I can certainly understand that a thought such as, “the elephant likes peanuts, therefore it will accept this peanut” is a much easier thought to entertain than a thought that infallibly tracks every subatomic particle in its body and in the environment around it. So, certainly, the concept of an elephant is a wonderful shortcut. But I’m not so sure about getting from this to the conclusion that elephants (like probability) are subjective. Do you think that elephants are subjective?