Yes, but it doesn't validate them either. :) The trouble with group generalizations is that they tend to have very low confidence intervals, which makes them very bad justifications for things like laws. You know, like saying "worldwide, on average, men tend to commit more crime than women, so we'd better just put all the men in jail right now and the world will be safer."
Ahah, now we're getting somewhere. I think we've found something we agree on. You can't use these generalizations to make specific predictions about the individuals. So, you can't use them as the basis for laws that single them out based on those predictions either.
E.g. you cannot pass a civil ordinance saying that Jews are not allowed to buy property in your county, because that's unjust.
We've agreed on that before when you were asking me about that employer/employee scenario. That was you, right? I think it was you. I said back then that one's character is based on individual performance. I might have even pointed out that generalizations of a group do not apply to individuals. I think I said it to someone. Anyhow... The point is that applying generalizations to everyone is not how bell curves work.
But, yes, you can use bell curves to make policies. This is how companies are using big data already.
No, it would not be unjust to restrict foreigners from owning property.
Good. We can agree on laws, and I think that's the most important thing. Companies use big data to make certain policies, yes, but that's a pretty different territory, and of course still subject to regulatory law.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2017-02-11 11:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-02-12 12:02 am (UTC)And, yeah, you don't take a generalization and then apply it to everyone in that group. That defeats the purpose of calling it a generalization. :\
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Date: 2017-02-12 12:47 am (UTC)E.g. you cannot pass a civil ordinance saying that Jews are not allowed to buy property in your county, because that's unjust.
Yes?
no subject
Date: 2017-02-12 01:11 am (UTC)But, yes, you can use bell curves to make policies. This is how companies are using big data already.
No, it would not be unjust to restrict foreigners from owning property.
no subject
Date: 2017-02-12 02:02 am (UTC)Companies use big data to make certain policies, yes, but that's a pretty different territory, and of course still subject to regulatory law.
no subject
Date: 2017-02-12 03:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-02-12 04:31 am (UTC)