The *capacity* to limit inference to a narrow set of considerations is a prerequisite to rationality. But besides that, there is the *propensity*, which seems to be an aspect of temperament, which varies even among those with the capacity.
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There seems to be something of a continuum from high-decouplers to low-decouplers even within high-IQ people who can think rationally when necessary. “Painfully oblivious geeks” are those at one extreme. (I’m close to that, at time at least!)
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Insightful discussion of the high/low decoupling continuum by
@drossbucket, who is near the middle, despite having a physics PhD and working in software development. The comments on this post are well-worth reading too!https://drossbucket.wordpress.com/2018/04/08/the-cognitive-decoupling-elite/ …2 replies 5 retweets 16 likesShow this thread -
Systematic rationality operates *within* circumscription assumptions: a set of principles about what will count as relevant to the reasoning process. The obliviousness of oblivious geeks is in taking circumscription as given, or fixed, not to be questioned or re-examined.
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Choice of circumscription assumptions is a key form of *meta-rational* reasoning. That is: deciding what will count as relevant is a major part of determining *how* rationality will be applied in a particular situation.
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So, to summarize my understanding of
@everytstudies’s analysis of the Harris-Klein debate: We could take Klein as being unable or unwilling to apply rationality (which requires circumscription) at all. Possibly true, but uncharitable. Alternatively…1 reply 1 retweet 5 likesShow this thread -
We could understand Klein as pointing out that Harris is being an “oblivious geek,” i.e. taking a set of circumscription assumptions as a given, and refusing to contemplate alternatives.
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Here is a positive construal of the value of low-decoupled thinking (from
@everytstudies’s post). The opposite of being an oblivious geek is being aware of the richness of the situation.pic.twitter.com/Dmg66Bs5I3
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To summarize my understanding of
@everytstudies’ post in my own jargon: Klein and Harris would have had to have had the meta-rational discussion of what counts as relevant, and why, before getting into the object-level debate. And neither was willing or able to do so.5 replies 4 retweets 22 likesShow this thread -
Replying to @Meaningness @everytstudies
Huh. Did the same thing happen during the Harris Peterson interview? Seemed like maybe Harris was trying to have that discussion and Peterson would never accept the terms? Or maybe something else.
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I haven’t heard, so I don’t know. I gather they got hung up on different ideas about what “truth” means, and instead of recognizing and discussing that, they both just insisted that their definition was right. In which case, yes, similar failure to address meta-rational issue.
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I would say that Jordan tried to hide his supernaturalism from Sam with a half-baked notion of truth, and Sam fell for his usual failure to listen. We discussed this debate in the comments of: https://andthentheresphysics.wordpress.com/2017/11/04/jordan-peterson-speaks-the-truth/#comment-105661 … I don't believe meta-rationality is a coherent concept, BTW.
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Meta-rationality is figuring out what rational method(s) to apply in a particular situation, and how. Does that seem like an incoherent concept?
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