The Usefulness of Factual vs Explanatory Knowledge — Drawing from David Deutsch

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The Usefulness of Factual vs Explanatory Knowledge — Drawing from David Deutsch

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In today's video we explore two kinds of knowledge: factual knowledge—rules of thumb that seem to work but don’t explain why—and explanatory knowledge, which reveals how and why things work. Drawing on David Deutsch’s idea that humans are universal explainers, I show why explanations lead to better decisions, fewer mistakes, and more adaptable thinking. We look at why explanations are more accurate and versatile, how they scale far better than memorizing endless facts, and how an explanatory worldview helps you filter information, reason from first principles, and adjust your approach when new knowledge arrives. Timestamps00:00 Intro00:58 Differences between Facts and Explanations01:23 Qualitative differences01:51 1. Accuracy02:30 2. Improvability03:52 3. Range of applicability05:00 Differences in Efficiency05:32 1. Error-rate05:52 2. Storage08:00 Benefits of an Explanatory Worldview08:11 1. Filtering information09:10 2. First-principle thinking10:27 3. Making adjustments11:57 OutroFeatured linksConjecture Institute: https://www.conjectureinstitute.org/My upcoming book: https://edwindoit.com/4actsMore from meBook: https://edwindoit.com/4actsWebsite: https://edwindoit.comNewsletter: https://edwindoit.substack.comProductivity blog: / edwindoit X: https://x.com/Edwindoit

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