On 13 Jun 2012, at 01:44, Pierz wrote:
On Wednesday, June 13, 2012 4:27:29 AM UTC+10, Bruno Marchal wrote:
On 12 Jun 2012, at 04:19, Pierz wrote:
<snip>
Yes, of course, and I made this exact point in relation to free
will and determinism. One should not mix up levels. But I think
there is still a distinction in perspectives if all things occur as
opposed to only some. If the range of experiences that occur is
finite, then my actions one way or another will change the sum
total of happiness in the experiences I will have as the universal
subject, whereas in an 'everything happens' model, I may still have
grounds for moral action, but knowing I go through everything
anyway seems to make the case for altruism a little less
compelling! Mind you (and this is my gripe with comp as an
explanatory framework), it is never clear in an infinite field what
local conditions might apply. Perhaps we live in a universe created
by an old testament god who thinks its an abomination for a man to
lie with a man or to eat goat's flesh on Wednesdays. Such a
possibility cannot be excluded because of the infinite calculation
depth of the UD - indeed somewhere in a universe just like ours,
that is the case!
OK, but we belong to all universe at once (among those who reaches
our computational states), never in one universe. You have to manage
the statistics. So our choice, with respect to our most probable
universal neighboors/computation, can change our proportion of
accessible internal universes, and altruism/egoism makes sense.
Ah yes, I'd lost sight of that detail.
That is why you take the lift instead of jumping out of the window.
That is why some people quit smoking.
Bruno, it may be why *you* don't jump out the window. But most
people aren't thinking about their proportion of accessible
universes when they take the stairs!
Yeah, the tree distracts from the multi-tree.
yet, people naturally think about the possible normal consequences of
their act (when not too much sleepy). They don't jump out the window
because they feel that it would normally end at the hospital, or
cemetery, when taking the stairs ends normally with home and family
and friends, and dogs and cats. They intuit correctly the (perhaps
correct) theory. What they feel naturally reflect the theory, a bit
like when I do a cup of coffee, I don't think at all about all the
physical laws involved in the process, yet the coffee is made possible
by the laws, and the knowledge of the laws can help to improve the
coffee, waste less energy, etc.
Likewise, some people will say "yes" to the doctor, without given a
damn to any metaphysical question. They will say: "Doctor, just do
what you need to do so that I have a chance to see the next soccer
cup, and please preserve me from any bloody technical details".
Theories are true of false independently of those who believe or
disbelieve those theories.
The truth of a belief is independent of the believer, except for first
person self-referential beliefs (which can be objects of science, but
cannot be part of science).
Bruno
http://iridia.ulb.ac.be/~marchal/
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