Comments on: How the Bias for Intent Makes Fools of Us All http://www.aaronrosspowell.com/blog/the-bias-for-intent fiction and philosophy Fri, 26 Feb 2010 02:51:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Aaron Ross Powell http://www.aaronrosspowell.com/blog/the-bias-for-intent/comment-page-1#comment-2690 Aaron Ross Powell Sat, 10 Jan 2009 19:57:46 +0000 http://www.aaronrosspowell.com/?p=282#comment-2690 <p>Fredrik, I'm not sure why spam as suddenly started getting through. Akismet was doing a great job catching it and then, weirdly, it stopped working as well. Hopefully it'll start working again properly. I apologize for the spam.</p> Fredrik, I’m not sure why spam as suddenly started getting through. Akismet was doing a great job catching it and then, weirdly, it stopped working as well. Hopefully it’ll start working again properly. I apologize for the spam.

]]> By: Fredrik Bränström http://www.aaronrosspowell.com/blog/the-bias-for-intent/comment-page-1#comment-2689 Fredrik Bränström Sat, 10 Jan 2009 18:46:47 +0000 http://www.aaronrosspowell.com/?p=282#comment-2689 <p>I want to keep subscribing here, but you need to take care of the spam :-\</p> I want to keep subscribing here, but you need to take care of the spam :-\

]]> By: Fredrik Bränström http://www.aaronrosspowell.com/blog/the-bias-for-intent/comment-page-1#comment-889 Fredrik Bränström Sat, 06 Sep 2008 14:39:30 +0000 http://www.aaronrosspowell.com/?p=282#comment-889 <p>Just thought I'd alert you to the fact that I had a scientology ad thrown in my face when I was about to read your article. :D http://bayimg.com/baKlEAABg Very nice irony. You should bitchslap your ad host. :p</p> <p>Mike: You don't have to be biased in order to take into account all the possibilities. (I'm going to read the article and your comment more thoroughly later, only skimmed it now...)</p> Just thought I’d alert you to the fact that I had a scientology ad thrown in my face when I was about to read your article. :D http://bayimg.com/baKlEAABg Very nice irony. You should bitchslap your ad host. :p

Mike: You don’t have to be biased in order to take into account all the possibilities. (I’m going to read the article and your comment more thoroughly later, only skimmed it now…)

]]> By: Carnival of the Godless # 99 « Oz Atheist’s Weblog http://www.aaronrosspowell.com/blog/the-bias-for-intent/comment-page-1#comment-642 Carnival of the Godless # 99 « Oz Atheist’s Weblog Sat, 30 Aug 2008 22:17:25 +0000 http://www.aaronrosspowell.com/?p=282#comment-642 <p>[...] presents How the Bias for Intent Makes Fools of Us All posted at Aaron Ross [...]</p> [...] presents How the Bias for Intent Makes Fools of Us All posted at Aaron Ross [...]

]]> By: Mike Dewar http://www.aaronrosspowell.com/blog/the-bias-for-intent/comment-page-1#comment-621 Mike Dewar Fri, 29 Aug 2008 15:08:35 +0000 http://www.aaronrosspowell.com/?p=282#comment-621 <p>You raise an interesting point here. I'm left wondering who it is that you're referring to when you mention 'the village witch'.</p> <p>I must say though, it seems like your argument can easily be turned around on you if you accept that intent-based reactions bias us in our interpretation of matters of fact (which I'm not sure that I do, but I'll grant it to you).</p> <p>If it is the case that oil prices are rising for very real and very threatening reasons, then those of us who react to this fact with suspicion will be more likely to survive the geopolitical fallout of the climax of such a cause (perhaps peak oil?).</p> <p>Those people who slough it off as paranoid mumbo-jumbo are more likely to get caught with their pants down when the realities of a declining oil supply hit home. They may be drafted, their country may be annexed with them in it, or they may be nuked. Meanwhile, the people who are biased will have had time to store canned goods and fresh water, and a few gallons of gasoline to power of a generator to survive the harshest of winter weather, etc. Perhaps they will have the wherewithal to evaluate their country objectively in terms of stability and long term safety.</p> <p>If oil prices are rising for no reason (the wind in the trees) then the people who prepared for the worst are no worse off (aside from being out a few bucks or, in the extreme cases, having moved into the woods). Whereas those people who didn't bother to prepare will be disadvantaged in a time of crisis, and less likely to survive and reproduce.</p> <p>Hence, those people who are biased (and not fools at all in my philosophical/geological opinion) to be ready for the proverbial tiger will have an equal chance of surviving in the event that there is no crisis, but an improved chance if there actually is one - just as the original argument of the intentional stance illustrates. I'm sure that those who prepared would think those people to be foolish who didn't heed their own natural instincts when they had the chance.</p> <p>Anyway, just my two cents. Nice article either way.</p> You raise an interesting point here. I’m left wondering who it is that you’re referring to when you mention ‘the village witch’.

I must say though, it seems like your argument can easily be turned around on you if you accept that intent-based reactions bias us in our interpretation of matters of fact (which I’m not sure that I do, but I’ll grant it to you).

If it is the case that oil prices are rising for very real and very threatening reasons, then those of us who react to this fact with suspicion will be more likely to survive the geopolitical fallout of the climax of such a cause (perhaps peak oil?).

Those people who slough it off as paranoid mumbo-jumbo are more likely to get caught with their pants down when the realities of a declining oil supply hit home. They may be drafted, their country may be annexed with them in it, or they may be nuked. Meanwhile, the people who are biased will have had time to store canned goods and fresh water, and a few gallons of gasoline to power of a generator to survive the harshest of winter weather, etc. Perhaps they will have the wherewithal to evaluate their country objectively in terms of stability and long term safety.

If oil prices are rising for no reason (the wind in the trees) then the people who prepared for the worst are no worse off (aside from being out a few bucks or, in the extreme cases, having moved into the woods). Whereas those people who didn’t bother to prepare will be disadvantaged in a time of crisis, and less likely to survive and reproduce.

Hence, those people who are biased (and not fools at all in my philosophical/geological opinion) to be ready for the proverbial tiger will have an equal chance of surviving in the event that there is no crisis, but an improved chance if there actually is one – just as the original argument of the intentional stance illustrates. I’m sure that those who prepared would think those people to be foolish who didn’t heed their own natural instincts when they had the chance.

Anyway, just my two cents. Nice article either way.

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