X-Message-Number: 14732
Date: Wed, 18 Oct 2000 19:08:25 -0700
From: Lee Corbin <>
Subject: Re: communicating & philosophy

Robert Ettinger wrote in #14717)

>But Lee and his fellow strong AI people...

The issue of strong vs. weak AI has nothing to do with
any of this. (In fact, I am of the opinion that strong
AI is probably wrong.)

>Lee says correctly that one's attitudes, based on habit
>or instinct, can be "wrong"--but he fails to identify
>the criterion or criteria of "right."

I can't find exactly where I said that, but, anyway, we
must tread very lightly upon words such as "right" and
"wrong".  (Although if you ever do find a criterion for
"right" please let me know!  It would be so useful; I
wouldn't have to think so hard and always be trying to
use my best judgment....  :-)

As you probably know, anybody who tried to define right and
wrong would be engaged in a completely useless and doomed
exercise.  By the time that he or she is six or seven, he
or she already usually knows how to use those words, and
only much later starts talking nonsense (especially after
having taken a class in philosophy).

We rightly (sorry!) come to view some beliefs as correct
and others mistaken.  I'm sure (from your writings) that
you don't really get hung up on certain words either.  But
here's my prescription: if any word, like "right", or "wrong",
or "true" begins to cause communication difficulties, 
rephrase right around it.

Lee

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