Zack_M_Davis comments on Less Wrong Q&A with Eliezer Yudkowsky: Ask Your Questions - Less Wrong

16 Post author: MichaelGR 11 November 2009 03:00AM

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Comment author: Zack_M_Davis 11 November 2009 08:21:58PM 9 points [-]

Um, what standard of significance are you using here? Yes, humans are extremely similar compared to the vastness of that which is possible, but that doesn't mean the remaining difference isn't ridiculously important.

Comment author: Vladimir_Nesov 12 November 2009 01:32:14AM 3 points [-]

Um, what standard of significance are you using here?

The standard implied by the remark I was commenting on. Literally not caring about other people seems like something you may believe about yourself, but which can't be true.

Comment author: Nick_Tarleton 12 November 2009 01:48:00AM 0 points [-]

The standard implied by the remark I was commenting on.

I read the original post as being about the ordinary human domain, implying an ordinary human-relative standard of significance.

Literally not caring about other people seems like something you may believe about yourself, but which can't be true.

This is ambiguous in two ways: which other people (few or all), and what sort of valuation (subjunctive revealed preference, some construal of reflective equilibrium)? I suppose it's plausible that for every person, some appeal to empathy would sincerely motivate that person.