Jonii comments on Absolute denial for atheists - Less Wrong

39 Post author: taw 16 July 2009 03:41PM

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Comment author: Jonii 17 July 2009 09:07:09PM 2 points [-]

"it's inappropriate to be disposed to manipulate people" "the opinion that people are suitable targets of manipulation will tend to lead to manipulation, which is wrong" "the ethically relevant belief that people are suitable targets of manipulation is false"

Ahem... Why? To me, these claims seem baseless and to some great degree, false.

Comment author: Alicorn 17 July 2009 09:12:45PM 0 points [-]

It would seem that you and I disagree on matters of ethics, then - probably on an awfully basic level.

Comment author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 17 July 2009 09:32:46PM 5 points [-]

I suspect you're using the word "manipulation" to mean different things.

For that matter, a lot of "manipulation" goes on in Brennan's world, it's expected on all sides, they don't think of themselves as immoral because of it, and I would go ahead and endorse that aspect of their fictional existence. I think that it's manipulation of someone who isn't expecting manipulation which is the main ethical problem.