timtyler comments on Nonparametric Ethics - Less Wrong

27 Post author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 20 June 2009 11:31AM

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Comment author: SoullessAutomaton 20 June 2009 01:04:40PM 4 points [-]

I tried the same thing at about that age. I seem to recall my attempt involved something deeply silly about minimizing entropy increase (It would have helped if I'd actually understood entropy at that point in a deeper sense than the handwavy "disorder in a system" sense, perhaps). I also made the mistake of assuming that the ideal correct morality would by necessity fall out of pure logic by the power of careful reasoning, and that therefore morality was an inevitable consequence of intelligence.

I grew out of it a couple years later when I realized that I was being a dumbass.

Having it All Figured Out is a common mistake for (14-16)-year olds to make, I guess.

Comment author: timtyler 20 June 2009 05:31:53PM 2 points [-]

Hah! Ironically, living systems naturally act so as to maximise entropy increase:

http://originoflife.net/gods_utility_function/

The best way to minimise entropy is probably to destroy as much of the biomass as possible. A short term gain in entropy - but the net effect on entropy increase would be negative - and the more creatures you could kill, the better!

Comment author: teageegeepea 23 June 2009 01:30:00AM 0 points [-]

Sounds like what I've termed the apocalyptic imperative.

Comment author: SoullessAutomaton 20 June 2009 05:36:38PM 0 points [-]

Yes. The irony was not lost on me once I actually grasped what entropy really means.

The description of "deeply silly" was, alas, not false modesty on behalf of my 14-year-old self, trust me.