cousin_it comments on The Lifespan Dilemma - Less Wrong

39 Post author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 10 September 2009 06:45PM

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Comment author: RolfAndreassen 14 September 2009 08:34:26PM 0 points [-]

I am not certain, but I think you are confusing the pre- and post-copying selves. The pre-copy self wants to maximise utility over all the copies, because it doesn't know which one it will wake up as. Post-copying selves have additional knowledge; they know which one they are, and want to maximise their own personal utility. There doesn't seem to be any inconsistency in having preferences that change over time when additional information is added. Consider designing a feudal society which you'll then live in: If you don't know whether you're an aristocrat or a peasant, you'll give the peasants as many privileges as the economy can support, on the grounds that you're a lot more likely to wake up as a peasant. But if you then find yourself an aristocrat, you'll do your level best to raise the taxes and impose the droit d'seigneur! This is not inconsistency, it is just ordinary ignorance about the future.

It's worth pointing out that I'll never experience the total utility over all my copies. However many copies are made, my anticipation ought to be waking up as one copy and experiencing one utility. Maximising the total is my best bet only so long as I don't know which one I am.

That bullet has hidden issues for reflective consistency. You're asserting that any >future you would not have wished to take Omega up on the offer again.

I don't understand how I am making this assertion; could you please clarify?

Comment author: cousin_it 15 September 2009 02:00:04PM 0 points [-]

Maximising the total is my best bet only so long as I don't know which one I am.

Did you mean, maximizing the average? Because your decisions could also affect how many copies get created.

Comment author: RolfAndreassen 15 September 2009 06:34:13PM 0 points [-]

I was considering the number of copies as fixed, which makes the two maximisations equivalent; if it is not fixed, then sure, substitute 'average' for 'total'.