Alicorn comments on Unspeakable Morality - Less Wrong

27 Post author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 04 August 2009 05:57AM

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Comment author: Douglas_Knight 05 August 2009 07:12:39AM 0 points [-]

Were you aware of your unconventionality before this exchange? (I worry that I'm missing some of your tone in print.)

Is there some standard poll of philosophers' views on ethics? Could you poll your department on vases and books?

(I, unlike PG, think the conjunction of caring about antelope suffering with not subjecting lions to ethical judgement is common. But I think that your position on vases and books is rare, at least away from virtue ethics.)

Comment author: Alicorn 05 August 2009 06:24:17PM 3 points [-]

I am quite aware of my unconventionality. As far as I know, I'm independent and very, very lonely in buying the above reasoning. Many ethicists try to make some vague nod in favor of preserving works of great art, but then pass off which works of art are great to the aestheticists and don't care about lesser works. I follow that intuition all the way down and think that stuff in general shouldn't be destroyed unnecessarily.