Cyan comments on Open Thread: August 2009 - Less Wrong

5 Post author: taw 01 August 2009 03:06PM

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Comment author: orthonormal 01 August 2009 06:59:39PM 0 points [-]
  • If zero is very low, then total utility maximization = make as many people as possible

Repugnant conclusion certainly is worth discussing, but the other two:

  • If zero is very high, then total utility maximization = it's kill everyone

I think it would be a very bad idea to have a utility function such that the utility of an empty universe is higher than the utility of a populated non-dystopia; so any utility function for the universe that I might approve should have a pretty hefty negative value for empty universes. I don't think that's too awful of a requirement.

  • If zero is average utility, then total utility maximization = doesn't matter what you do

This looks like a total non sequitur to me. What do you mean?

Comment author: Cyan 01 August 2009 08:30:58PM *  1 point [-]

He means that if utility is measured in such a way that average utility is always zero, then total utility is always zero too, average utility being total utility divided number of agents.

Comment author: orthonormal 02 August 2009 03:04:38AM 1 point [-]

Well, that's not a very good utility function then, and taw's three possibilities are nowhere near exhausting the range of possibilities.

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