I think a lot of commenters are taking the “maximize” bit too literally. EAs are a bit on the neurotic side and like to take things literally, but colloquially, people understand that maximize doesn’t mean maximize at all other costs. I agree that maximization is perilous but in every day language, with which every day people we are trying to appeal to communicate, “maximize” doesn’t mean to do so at all costs like maximizing a single function. When my basketball coach would tell me to score as many points as possible, I took it as a given he didn’t think I should hold the referees and other team at gunpoint until they allowed me to score points easily or do any number of other ridiculous actions. When a friend tells me to come as early as I can, they don’t mean for me to floor the gas pedal from my current location.
A pledge summed up in a single sentence isn’t going to have all the caveats and asterisks that EAs like to have when they speak precisely.
I think a lot of commenters are taking the “maximize” bit too literally. EAs are a bit on the neurotic side and like to take things literally, but colloquially, people understand that maximize doesn’t mean maximize at all other costs. I agree that maximization is perilous but in every day language, with which every day people we are trying to appeal to communicate, “maximize” doesn’t mean to do so at all costs like maximizing a single function. When my basketball coach would tell me to score as many points as possible, I took it as a given he didn’t think I should hold the referees and other team at gunpoint until they allowed me to score points easily or do any number of other ridiculous actions. When a friend tells me to come as early as I can, they don’t mean for me to floor the gas pedal from my current location.
A pledge summed up in a single sentence isn’t going to have all the caveats and asterisks that EAs like to have when they speak precisely.