I really like “starting with being an agent”. In fact, I strongly argued for it. But the reality is people often would forgo this and regard “view from nowhere” as the foundation and attempt to draw the map with that perspective. (Anthropics being the prime example, IMO) Allowing this switch of viewpoints, there is no way to say if “the internal model for decision-making” really “reflects the universe”. E.g. the debate if quantum states are just epistemological or ontological.
Even the idea of “decision” is challenged when the decision-maker is physically analyzed. We won’t say water decides to flow toward lower places. Looking at a decision-maker physically, where is the sense of decision in his actions? I think that’s why “decision-making” problems like Newcomb and Twin Prison Dilemma are paradoxical. It asks what would the decision-maker do using the introspecting sense while also made sure physically analyzing the decision-maker is part of the problem.
I really like “starting with being an agent”. In fact, I strongly argued for it. But the reality is people often would forgo this and regard “view from nowhere” as the foundation and attempt to draw the map with that perspective. (Anthropics being the prime example, IMO) Allowing this switch of viewpoints, there is no way to say if “the internal model for decision-making” really “reflects the universe”. E.g. the debate if quantum states are just epistemological or ontological.
Even the idea of “decision” is challenged when the decision-maker is physically analyzed. We won’t say water decides to flow toward lower places. Looking at a decision-maker physically, where is the sense of decision in his actions? I think that’s why “decision-making” problems like Newcomb and Twin Prison Dilemma are paradoxical. It asks what would the decision-maker do using the introspecting sense while also made sure physically analyzing the decision-maker is part of the problem.