The hottest Logic Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Philosophy Topics

Why I Ran Away from Philosophy Because of Sam Bankman-Fried

The Honest Broker β€’ 26862 implied HN points β€’ 04 Nov 23
πŸ“– Philosophy Ethics Academia Logic Utilitarianism
  1. The philosophy of Effective Altruism may prioritize long-term consequences over immediate actions, leading to risky ethical decisions.
  2. Analytic philosophy, specifically of the Anglo-American variety, can promote perspectives that prioritize maximizing pleasure, potentially leading to damaging outcomes.
  3. Beware of philosophical systems that justify harmful actions by focusing on a 'larger context' and be cautious of practitioners who calculate consequences before performing acts of kindness or generosity.

Going Vertical: Gate All Around, 3D DRAM, 3D NAND - Kokusai Electric IPO

SemiAnalysis β€’ 3636 implied HN points β€’ 15 Oct 23
πŸ•Ή Technology Memory Logic
  1. Kokusai Electric is a significant player in batch Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) for thin film deposition processes in the semiconductor industry.
  2. The use of batch ALD in memory fabs is advantageous for processing high aspect ratio structures like NAND and DRAM, leading to better step coverage and film thickness control.
  3. In logic fabrication, ALD is crucial for complex structures like FinFET and 3D NAND architectures, allowing for precise deposition and enabling advancements in semiconductor technology.

Robot Philosophy

Egg Report β€’ 569 implied HN points β€’ 10 Feb 24
πŸ“– Philosophy Metaphysics Reality Intelligence Time Logic
  1. In the realm of computation, complex statements can be broken down into simple ones, reflecting a mono-causal, universalist view of reality.
  2. Projects like AI and VR are attempts to recreate intelligence and reality, each carrying metaphysical claims about the simplicity and illusory nature of complexity.
  3. Engaging with computers and writing code trains individuals to think in a certain way, guiding them towards a robotic mindset and reinforcing metaphysical assumptions.

Aristotle vs the Stoics: part II, ethics

Figs in Winter: New Stoicism and beyond β€’ 943 implied HN points β€’ 12 Jan 24
πŸ“– Philosophy Ethics Metaphysics Logic Psychology
  1. Stoics focused on practical philosophy of life, while Aristotle was more into theoretical inquiries.
  2. For Aristotle, a flourishing life required virtue and external goods, while for Stoics, virtue alone was sufficient.
  3. The ultimate goal of life for the Stoics was living in agreement with nature, while for Aristotle, it was a contemplative or politically involved life.

Me vs Huemer

David Friedman’s Substack β€’ 341 implied HN points β€’ 13 Feb 24
πŸ“– Philosophy Epistemology Ethics Logic Bias Experts
  1. Consider forming opinions on controversial issues based on evaluating arguments rather than just trusting the experts
  2. Experts may not always have expertise in all aspects of an issue, so it's important to critically evaluate their arguments and not just rely on their authority
  3. It's crucial to judge both arguments and arguers, as bias and incentives can influence the opinions of experts in controversial topics
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Philosophy is the mathematics of language

Wood From Eden β€’ 816 implied HN points β€’ 23 Dec 23
πŸ“– Philosophy Language Mathematics Concepts Logic Epistemology
  1. Philosophy is the art of clarifying concepts and finding links between them.
  2. Philosophy is similar to mathematics in that it explores relationships between concepts, just as mathematics explores relationships between numbers.
  3. Concepts in philosophy change over time, making it a field that evolves constantly unlike mathematics which is built on stable concepts.

Dishonest Words

David Friedman’s Substack β€’ 170 implied HN points β€’ 28 Feb 24
πŸ“– Philosophy Language Ethics Logic Rhetoric Meaning
  1. Labeling someone as 'homophobic' for having negative views of homosexuality can falsely imply a single cause for their opinion and stigmatize them without considering other reasons.
  2. Using terms like 'racism' and 'denier' to label those with differing views can be a dishonest tactic to imply that their opinions are unreasonable without proper argumentation.
  3. Words like 'thermal pollution' and 'CO2 emission as pollution' can carry hidden value judgments, implying negativity without explicitly stating the values being used.

What is an ad hominem attack?

News from Those Nerdy Girls β€’ 314 implied HN points β€’ 02 Feb 24
🚌 Education Logic Bias Critical Thinking Media Literacy Communication
  1. Ad hominem attacks insult a person's motive or character instead of addressing the content of an idea or argument.
  2. Ad hominem attacks create distrust of the individual and divert attention away from the actual issue.
  3. To combat bias from ad hominem attacks, focus on facts, recognize diversion tactics, and practice self-reflection.

Abused Words

David Friedman’s Substack β€’ 260 implied HN points β€’ 29 Jan 24
🚌 Education Language Grammar Logic Statistics
  1. Words like 'exponential' and 'organic' are commonly misused with meanings different from their actual definitions.
  2. Terms like 'guarantee' and 'literally' are often used incorrectly causing confusion in communication.
  3. Understanding technical terms like 'statistically significant' is crucial to avoid misinterpretation in discussions.

Aristotle on Luck

Classical Wisdom β€’ 2181 implied HN points β€’ 23 Jun 23
πŸ“– Philosophy Ancient Philosophy Metaphysics Ethics Epistemology Logic
  1. Aristotle distinguishes between luck and chance, pointing out that luck involves events that occur unexpectedly without necessity or regularity.
  2. Luck requires conscious decisions and human intent, while chance is simply a coincidental occurrence without purpose.
  3. Understanding luck and chance can lead to philosophical questions about the universe and our existence.

Can You Solve the 'Simple' Two Door Riddle From Labyrinth?

Pryor Questions β€’ 336 implied HN points β€’ 13 Dec 23
🚌 Education Logic Puzzle Movies
  1. In the movie Labyrinth, there is a logic puzzle involving two guards, two doors, and a choice between truth and lies.
  2. To solve the puzzle, Sarah can ask one guard what the other guard would say, then choose the opposite door.
  3. This puzzle is a version of the Knights and Knaves problem, where one guard always tells the truth and the other always lies.

When Your Map Doesn't Match Reality

Good Reason β€’ 227 implied HN points β€’ 13 Dec 23
πŸ“– Philosophy Reality Logic Hypocrisy Maps Bias
  1. Regardless of how well you know a situation, remember your knowledge is just a map and not reality itself.
  2. Be cautious of projecting your biases onto situations to force them to fit your preconceived notions.
  3. Acknowledging and being aware of your own potential biases can help prevent misunderstandings and misinterpretations.

Comparing Theism and Naturalism

Bentham's Newsletter β€’ 78 implied HN points β€’ 07 Feb 24
πŸ“– Philosophy Theism Beliefs Logic
  1. A detailed comparison was made between theism and naturalism with various odds ratios considered.
  2. The conclusion presented was that theism is significantly more plausible than naturalism, with a ratio of 468,000.
  3. The importance of evidence, arguments, and priors in determining the probability of theism was emphasized.

The two reasons I left Christianity

Figs in Winter: New Stoicism and beyond β€’ 805 implied HN points β€’ 27 Mar 23
β›ͺ Faith & Spirituality Christianity Atheism Logic Science Philosophy
  1. Logic and science played a big part in leading the author to leave Christianity
  2. Encountering philosophical teachings and critical thinking in school reinforced the doubts about religion
  3. The concepts of transubstantiation and the Trinity were key factors that ultimately caused the author to walk away from Catholicism

Two Master Fallacies

Fake NoΓ»s β€’ 301 implied HN points β€’ 16 Sep 23
🚌 Education Logic Critical Thinking
  1. Assumption is a common error where people quickly believe something with little evidence.
  2. Dogmatism is the resistance to changing beliefs, even in the face of evidence.
  3. To avoid assumption, consider alternatives, objections, empirical tests, and listen to different perspectives. To combat dogmatism, question your beliefs and avoid dogmatic techniques like ignoring contrary evidence and appealing only to your belief system.

Why the Good Guys Will Usually Win

Eurykosmotron β€’ 353 implied HN points β€’ 09 Jul 23
πŸ“– Philosophy Ethics Logic Metaphysics Epistemology Aesthetics
  1. Good guys are likely to win and open-mindedness prevails over closed-mindedness across the multiverse.
  2. Prosocial communities are smarter and better at problem-solving than communities of distrustful individuals.
  3. In a diverse and open environment, good and open-minded agents are more likely to prevail and positively influence society.

A formal language for first-order predicate logic

Infinitely More β€’ 15 implied HN points β€’ 02 Mar 24
🚌 Education Mathematics Logic Philosophy Semantics
  1. A formal language for first-order predicate logic involves understanding the basic syntax, terms, variables, and structure interpretations.
  2. Signatures in structures specify the elements like relations, functions, and constants in a mathematical structure, detailing their features and meanings.
  3. Mathematics uses a wide array of first-order structures to study various concepts like orders, graphs, groups, and more, unifying different mathematical investigations.

Distinguishing mathematical structures by their theories

Infinitely More β€’ 15 implied HN points β€’ 24 Feb 24
πŸ”¬ Science Mathematics Logic
  1. With first-order logic, subtle features can help distinguish mathematical structures from similar alternatives.
  2. Different mathematical structures can be differentiated by how symbols are interpreted in each structure, revealing unique properties.
  3. Finding statements in the language of orders that are true in one structure and false in others can help distinguish mathematical structures.

A More Lenient Theory of Casual Reference

Hunter’s Substack β€’ 1 HN point β€’ 13 Apr 24
πŸ“– Philosophy Metaphysics Epistemology Ethics Theology Logic
  1. The theory of causal reference, as proposed by Putnam, faces challenges as it may not adequately explain how individuals can refer to things with which they have no direct causal connection.
  2. Concepts can be developed from prior causal experiences to enable meaningful reference to phenomena regardless of direct causal history, challenging the strict causal necessity theory of reference.
  3. The mind's ability to create new concepts from prior experiences provides a plausible explanation for how individuals can refer to abstract or novel ideas, even if they lack direct causal connections.

Chaos train and monkey madnessβ€”fun with quantifiers

Infinitely More β€’ 12 implied HN points β€’ 19 Feb 24
🚌 Education Logic Language Mathematics Semantics Exercises
  1. First-order predicate logic provides a formal language and semantics capable of expressing fine distinctions and shades of meaning.
  2. Understanding quantifiers, such as βˆƒ and βˆ€, is crucial in first-order logic as they allow one to make statements like 'there is an x such that Ο†' or 'every x has property Ο†.'
  3. Engaging in logic puzzles and practice can help in developing a deeper comprehension of first-order logic concepts and their applications.

A theory of truth

Infinitely More β€’ 5 implied HN points β€’ 07 Mar 24
πŸ“– Philosophy Logic Truth Semantics Theory Structure
  1. Truth in a structure is defined by recursion on sentences, reducing to assertions with temporary assignments of variables
  2. The concept of valuation in a model involves assigning variables to specific individuals, treating them as constants in that context
  3. Tarski's disquotational theory of truth posits that an assertion is true when the proposition it asserts is true, forming the foundation of a compositional theory of truth

What is Bayesian Statistics? The Beginner Math Guide (Part One)

The Software & Data Spectrum β€’ 78 implied HN points β€’ 13 Apr 23
πŸ”¬ Science Statistics Probability Logic Combinatorics
  1. Bayesian Statistics is used in various fields like Machine Learning, Engineering, Data Science, and more.
  2. Bayesian Thinking involves observing data, holding prior beliefs, forming hypotheses, gathering evidence, and comparing hypotheses.
  3. Probability is a way to measure belief strength, and calculating probabilities involves counting outcomes and using ratios of beliefs.

Aaron Lee's Master Framework: Axiom & Master Formula

Autodidact Obsessions β€’ 4 implied HN points β€’ 17 Feb 24
πŸ”¬ Science Logic Language Philosophy
  1. Aaron Lee's Master Framework explores the relationship between language and logic through his First Axiom, emphasizing the potentiality of language and how it evolves into actual meanings through various logical systems.
  2. The integration of Aaron Lee's Axiom with advanced logical systems like non-monotonic logic, mereology, fuzzy logic, quantum logic, paraconsistent logic, and substructural logic offers a structured model for understanding linguistic semantics and the transition from potential to actual meanings.
  3. The Master Formula resulting from this integration showcases the dynamic nature of belief revision, compositional insights, gradations of truth, probabilistic potential meanings, tolerance for contradictions, and contextual sensitivity, providing deeper insight into the complexities of language and semantics.

Computer Science Applications Of Aaron Lee Axiom, Extensions & Integrations Pt 3

Autodidact Obsessions β€’ 4 implied HN points β€’ 15 Feb 24
πŸ•Ή Technology Computer Science Logic Frameworks Empiricism Data
  1. The author worked on the discussed problems for 30 years, gaining a deep understanding before diving into specific terminology.
  2. Understanding the jargon allowed the author to quickly progress in relating logical paradigms to philosophical problems.
  3. Nesting the conceptual framework inside pragmatic empiricism produced similar results, while nesting pragmatic empiricism within the framework expanded capabilities.