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Figuring out whether animals have consciousness has implications for how we think about animal welfare, and also how we think about creativity
Unless we are solipsists, we conclude that all human beings are conscious.
A simple extrapolation to animals would be to say that those with similar characteristics to humans, could also have consciousness.
I am not aware of any strong theories on animals being unconscious, other than intuitions of some AGI researchers who conjecture that sentience hangs together with unique learning capabilities of humans.
And suppose that we have a reasonable (best available) current explanation for why animals are not conscious, I don't think that puts us in a Pascal's wager situation, because considering our own (recognised) fallibility, and the asymmetry of being right and wrong with respect to moral outcomes, we could consider to tread on the safe side until we have more evidence.
This implies that we should treat animals carefully, as their sentience allows them to feel pain, until we have a lot more information. Interestingly, this also implies that wild nature is evil and that we should seek to get rid of it (if we continue to believe in animal consciousness).
TL;DR: We only have vague conjectures on animal consciousness
44 unchanged lines collapsedIn this tree, `I` is considered problematic. Although `C11` has been neutralized by `C21` and `C22`, `C12` still needs to be addressed. In addition, `C23` *would* have neutralized `C13`, but `C31` and `C32` make `C23`problematic again,problematic, so `C13` makes `I` problematic as well.26 unchanged lines collapsed
Add tree diagrams and improve wording throughout
*Veritula* (Latin for ‘a bit of truth’) provides an objective, partly automated way to tentatively determine whether a given idea is true or false. It follows Karl Popper’s epistemology, which says that ideas are assumed true until refuted. This approach leaves us free to make *bold conjectures* and use the full arsenal at our disposal to *criticize* these conjectures in order to *correct errors* and *seek truth*. It’s a creative and critical approach. **Veritula is a programmatic implementation of Popper’sepistemology.**↵ ↵ If a criticism ofepistemology.**↵ ↵ Consider an idea `I`:↵ ↵ ```↵ I↵ ```↵ ↵ Since it has no criticisms, it iscriticized in turn, the criticismconsidered *unproblematic*. It isneutralizedrational to adopt it, tentatively consider it true, andthe originalact in accordance with it. Conversely, it would be *irrational* to reject it. Next, someone submits a criticism `C1`:↵ ↵ ```↵ I↵ |↵ C1↵ ```↵ ↵ The idea is now consideredtrue again.*problematic* for as long as `C1` is not addressed. How do you address it? You can *revise* `I` so that `C1` doesn’t apply anymore, which restores the previous state with just the standalone `I`. Veritulamarks ideas accordingly, automatically. Sinceoffers beautiful diffing and *version control for ideas*. Alternatively, you can *counter-criticize* `C1`, thereby neutralizing it:↵ ↵ ```↵ I↵ |↵ C1↵ |↵ C2↵ ```↵ ↵ Now, `I` is considered unproblematic again, since `C1` is problematic and thus can’t be a decisive criticism anymore.↵ ↵ Since thereare many ideas,can be manypotentialcriticisms (which are also justideas),ideas) and deeply nested counter-criticisms, the result is a tree structure.BecauseFor example, it might look like this:↵ ↵ ```↵ I↵ / | \↵ C11 C12 C13↵ / \ \↵ C21 C22 C23↵ / \↵ C31 C32↵ ```↵ ↵ In this tree, `I` is considered problematic. Although `C11` has been neutralized by `C21` and `C22`, `C12` still needs to be addressed. In addition, `C23` *would* have neutralized `C13`, but `C31` and `C32` make `C23` problematic again, so `C13` makes `I` problematic as well.↵ ↵ But you don’t need to keep track of these relationships manually. Veritula marks ideas accordingly, automatically.↵ ↵ Because decision-making is a special case of, or follows the same logic as, truth-seeking,this treesuch trees can also be used asadecisiontree.↵ ↵ Alltrees.↵ ↵ All ideas, including criticisms, should be formulated as concisely as possible.3 unchanged lines collapsedAgain, criticisms are also just ideas, so the same is true for criticisms. Submitting each criticism separately has the benefit ofcausingrequiring the proponent of an idea to address each criticism individually, not in bulk. If he fails to address even a single criticism, the idea remains problematic and should beconsidered false.↵ ↵ Therejected.↵ ↵ The more you discuss a given topic, the deeper and wider the tree grows. Some criticisms do apply to multiple ideas in the tree, but that needs to be made explicit. Ideas that are neither criticisms nor top-level conjectures – eg follow-up questions or neutral comments – are considered *ancillaryideas*.↵ ↵ Oneideas*. Unlike criticisms, they do not invert their respective parent’s truth status. They are neutral.↵ ↵ One of the main benefits of Veritula is that thestatetruth status of any idea in a discussion can be seen at a glance. If you are new to a much-discussed topic, the rational course of action is to adopt the displayed truth status of the ideasinvolved.↵ ↵ **Veritulainvolved: if they are marked problematic, reject them; if they are not, adopt them.↵ ↵ **Veritula acts as a *dictionary for ideas*.**3 unchanged lines collapsedVeritula solves this problem: it makes discussion trees explicit so you don’t have to remember each idea and its relation to other ideas. Veritula therefore also enables you to hold irrational people accountable: if an idea has outstanding criticisms, the rational approach is to either abandon it or to save it by addressingthem. To address a criticism, you either criticize *it* or revise the criticized idea so that the criticism doesn’t apply anymore.↵ ↵ Manythem.↵ ↵ Many people don’t like to concede an argument. But with Veritula, no concessions are necessary. The site just shows you who’s right. **Using Veritula, we may discover a bit of truth.**
Replace non-breaking spaces with regular ones
*Veritula* (Latin*Veritula* (Latin for ‘a bit of truth’) provides an objective, partly automated way to tentatively determine whether a given idea is true or false. It follows Karl Popper’s epistemology, which says that ideas are assumed true until refuted. This approach leaves us free to make *bold conjectures* and use the full arsenal at our disposal to *criticize* these conjectures to *correct errors* and *seek truth*. It’s a creativeand critical approach.↵ ↵ **Veritulaand critical approach.↵ ↵ **Veritula is a programmatic implementation of Popper’s epistemology.**24 unchanged lines collapsed
Veritula (Latin for ‘a bit of truth’) provides an objective, partly automated way to tentatively determine whether a given idea is true or false.
It follows Karl Popper’s epistemology, which says that ideas are assumed true until refuted. This approach leaves us free to make bold conjectures and use the full arsenal at our disposal to criticize these conjectures to correct errors and seek truth. It’s a creative and critical approach.
Veritula is a programmatic implementation of Popper’s epistemology.
If a criticism of an idea is criticized in turn, the criticism is neutralized and the original idea considered true again. Veritula marks ideas accordingly, automatically. Since there are many ideas, many potential criticisms (which are also just ideas), and deeply nested counter-criticisms, the result is a tree structure. Because decision-making is a special case of, or follows the same logic as, truth-seeking, this tree can also be used as a decision tree.
All ideas, including criticisms, should be formulated as concisely as possible.
Separate ideas should be submitted separately, even if they’re related. Otherwise, you run the risk of receiving ‘bulk’ criticisms, where a single criticism seems to apply to more content than it actually does.
Again, criticisms are also just ideas, so the same is true for criticisms. Submitting each criticism separately has the benefit of causing the proponent of an idea to address each criticism individually, not in bulk. If he fails to address even a single criticism, the idea remains problematic and should be considered false.
The more you discuss a given topic, the deeper and wider the tree grows. Some criticisms do apply to multiple ideas in the tree, but that needs to be made explicit.
Ideas that are neither criticisms nor top-level conjectures – eg follow-up questions or neutral comments – are considered ancillary ideas.
One of the main benefits of Veritula is that the state of a discussion can be seen at a glance. If you are new to a much-discussed topic, the rational course of action is to adopt the displayed truth status of the ideas involved.
Veritula acts as a dictionary for ideas.
One of the problems of our age is that the same discussions are had over and over again, sometimes by the same people. Part of the reason is widespread irrationality, expressed in the unwillingness to change one’s mind; another is that it’s simply difficult to remember or know what’s true and what isn’t. Discussion trees can get complex, so people shouldn’t blindly trust their judgment of whether some idea is true or problematic, whether nested criticisms have been neutralized or not. Going off of memory is too error prone.
Veritula solves this problem: it makes discussion trees explicit so you don’t have to remember each idea and its relation to other ideas. Veritula therefore also enables you to hold irrational people accountable: if an idea has outstanding criticisms, the rational approach is to either abandon it or to save it by addressing them. To address a criticism, you either criticize it or revise the criticized idea so that the criticism doesn’t apply anymore.
Many people don’t like to concede an argument. But with Veritula, no concessions are necessary. The site just shows you who’s right.
Using Veritula, we may discover a bit of truth.
This is the kind of thing that’s messed up and should be prevented: https://x.com/CatchUpFeed/status/1819079527366382071
There are financial incentives to do abortions as late as possible.
#355 · Dennis HackethalOP, 11 months agoIn activity feed, behind timestamp (‘… hours ago’), link to corresponding discussion.
Done as of e3f2c5b.
In activity feed, behind timestamp (‘… hours ago’), link to corresponding discussion.
#349 · Dennis HackethalOP, 11 months agoThe activity feed just shows top-level criticisms as regular ideas. They should be shown as criticisms just like when they are child ideas.
Done as of c11a13c.
#337 · Dennis HackethalOP, 11 months agoWhen all I change during a revision is the criticism flag, the activity log just says ‘no changes’.
As of 9702c05, a revision activity now says that the idea was either marked or unmarked as a criticism.
#351 · Dennis HackethalOP, 11 months agoWhen a comment is a criticism on another criticism, the activity should say ‘So and so addressed criticism #…’
Done as of 735c3cc.
When a comment is a criticism on another criticism, the activity should say ‘So and so addressed criticism #…’
Fix typo
The activity feed just shows top-level criticisms as regular ideas. They should be shown as criticismssuchjust like when they are child ideas.
#340 · Dennis HackethalOP, 11 months agoThe activity feed just shows top-level criticisms as regular ideas. They should be shown as criticisms such like when they are child ideas.
such like
‘just like’
#344 · Dennis HackethalOP, 11 months agoShould probably show the explanation in a revision, when given. In the activity feed, that is.
Done as of 7e7c6cd.
Should probably show the explanation in a revision, when given. In the activity feed, that is.It doesn’t really matter. This would be like calling a controller action from a helper method. Not something people do.
The activity feed just shows top-level criticisms as regular ideas. They should be shown as criticisms such like when they are child ideas.
Should probably show the explanation in a revision, when given.
Discuss Veritula itself. For feedback and suggestions.
When all I change during a revision is the criticism flag, the activity log just says ‘no changes’.