[2016-08-23] Consequentialism is for cows

Blame Quintushalls for this.

Moderators: NeatNit, Kimra

Kit.
Posts: 49
Joined: Sun Jun 12, 2016 10:22 am

[2016-08-23] Consequentialism is for cows

Post by Kit. »

Even humans can do better. Hence, instrumentalism.

Geekoid
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue Aug 20, 2013 3:11 pm

Re: [2016-08-23] Consequentialism is for cows

Post by Geekoid »

Predict the future might just mean, predicting the future based on this choice, seeing the results and then doing something else.

I can hold this glass 4 feet over concrete and I can predict the future. If I drop it, it will break. Then choose not to drop it.

Kit.
Posts: 49
Joined: Sun Jun 12, 2016 10:22 am

Re: [2016-08-23] Consequentialism is for cows

Post by Kit. »

It doesn't mean that the glass won't break if you choose not to drop it. But at least you can say you tried, right?

ppo

Re: [2016-08-23] Consequentialism is for cows

Post by ppo »

Is "perectly" "perfectly" perfectly spelt?
(Ref. Frame 5)

gvst

Re: [2016-08-23] Consequentialism is for cows

Post by gvst »

Geekoid wrote:Predict the future might just mean, predicting the future based on this choice, seeing the results and then doing something else.
That doesn't help, unless you are the only being of significance in the universe with this ability.
For the sake of an argument let's say that you are one of (at least) two people able to completely predict the future, given that you take a specific action. You may then choose to do it, or not do it, but are too exhausted to predict again for a sufficiently long period of time*. So you decide to play a game of rock-paper-scissors against the other guy to settle once and for all who is the best. Since the game is high stakes, you have to put your picks in opaque envelopes so both can be opened simultaneously by an impartial judge. You contemplate to playing rock and predict the outcome, which gives you the exact wining play (scissors if you lose, paper if you tie and, of course, rock if you win.) However so does your opponent. Since you both can't win, we have arrived at a contradiction and the hypothesis is proven wrong.


(*) being able to predict arbitrarily often is functionally equivalent to being able to predict future completely, which as you are aware, is impossible from within the universe being predicted.

Post Reply