Zack_M_Davis comments on Rationality Quotes November 2009 - Less Wrong

8 Post author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 29 November 2009 11:36PM

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Comment author: Zack_M_Davis 30 November 2009 07:54:01PM 0 points [-]

At best, morality is the (really complicated) function relating "is" and "ought" - which means errors in the "is" can make vast differences to the consequent "ought".

You're right; forgive my imprecision. But I doubt that people from the past could be said to be using the exactly the same function as us, nor even that I'm using the exact same function as you. It would just be too much coincidence.

Comment author: RobinZ 30 November 2009 09:00:05PM 2 points [-]

I think I see the difficulty - my language is phrased in terms of an absolute morality to which all historical systems are approximations of varying accuracy. Do I correctly infer that you reject that concept? If so, I believe it reasonable to assume that the remaining confusion is a matter of phrasing.

Comment author: Zack_M_Davis 30 November 2009 09:47:33PM 2 points [-]

Do I correctly infer that you reject that concept?

Yes.