AllanCrossman comments on Ethics as a black box function - Less Wrong

11 Post author: Kaj_Sotala 22 September 2009 05:25PM

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Comment author: AllanCrossman 22 September 2009 06:57:30PM *  1 point [-]

I'm not sure I'm understanding properly. You talk as if my action would drastically affect society's views of friendship. I doubt this is true for any action I could take.

Comment author: SilasBarta 22 September 2009 07:04:58PM *  1 point [-]

Well, all my point really requires that is that it moves society in that direction. The fraction of "total elimination of friendship" that my decision causes must be weighed against the supposed net social gain (other people's gain minus that of my friends), and it's not at all obvious when one is greater than the other.

Plus, Eliezer_Yudkowsky's Timeless Decision Theory assumes that your decisions do have implications for everyone else's decisions!