E.g. in his book on SFE, Vinding regularly cites people’s subjective accounts of reality in support of SFE at the normative level. He acknowledges that each individual has a limited dataset and biased cognition but instead of simply sharing his and the perspective of others, he immediately jumps to normative conclusions. I take issue with that, see below.
I have two interpretations of what you mean:
What should he have done before getting to normative conclusions? Or do you mean he shouldn’t discuss what normative conclusions (SFE views) would follow if we believed these accounts? Should he use more careful language? Give a more balanced discussion of SFE (including more criticism/objections, contrary accounts) rather than primarily defend and motivate it? I think it makes sense to discuss the normative conclusions that come from believing accounts that support SFE in a book on SFE (one at a time, in different combinations, not necessarily all of them simultaneously, for more robust conclusions).
Since you say “see below” and the rest of your comment is about what SFE(-ish) people should do (reduce extinction risk to help aliens later), do you mean specifically that such a book shouldn’t both motivate/defend SFE and make practical recommendations about what to do given SFE, so that these should be done separately?
I have two interpretations of what you mean:
What should he have done before getting to normative conclusions? Or do you mean he shouldn’t discuss what normative conclusions (SFE views) would follow if we believed these accounts? Should he use more careful language? Give a more balanced discussion of SFE (including more criticism/objections, contrary accounts) rather than primarily defend and motivate it? I think it makes sense to discuss the normative conclusions that come from believing accounts that support SFE in a book on SFE (one at a time, in different combinations, not necessarily all of them simultaneously, for more robust conclusions).
Since you say “see below” and the rest of your comment is about what SFE(-ish) people should do (reduce extinction risk to help aliens later), do you mean specifically that such a book shouldn’t both motivate/defend SFE and make practical recommendations about what to do given SFE, so that these should be done separately?