From: CurtAdams@aol.com
Date: Mon Oct 30 2000 - 10:08:18 MST
In a message dated 10/30/00 5:34:27 AM, rhanson@gmu.edu writes:
>> >... prefer a pleasurable meal this evening to one ten years ago ...
>>
>>I find this a nonsensical concept. Preferences for past actions have
>no
>>meaning, as you can't undo them. ...
>
>Time machines are not logically impossible. Whether they are physically
>impossible remains to be seen. So you should be able to make sense of
>hypotheticals wherein you use a time machine to change past actions.
I consider this kind of use of time machines logically impossible; it's a
classic grandfather paradox. In any case, such hypotheticals are
impossible to calibratable; there's no way to determine if stated
preferences mean anything and excellent reasons that past
preferences would be inaccurate and inconsistent. There's sound
evolutionary reasons for them to be meaningless side-effects of
the real use of preferences, guiding action.
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