komponisto comments on Normal Cryonics - Less Wrong

58 Post author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 19 January 2010 07:08PM

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Comment author: komponisto 26 January 2010 06:47:56PM *  0 points [-]

In that case, how could you be said to have preferences about outcomes without being a consequentialist?

Comment author: thomblake 26 January 2010 07:06:46PM *  0 points [-]

Hmm... I think Eliezer might have overstated his case a little (for the lay audience). If you take a utility function to be normative with respect to your actions, it's not merely descriptive of your preferences, for some meanings of "preference" - not including, I would think, the definition Eliezer would use.

Using more ordinary language, a Kantian might have preferences about the outcomes of his actions, but doesn't think such preferences are the primary concern in what one ought to do.

Comment author: komponisto 26 January 2010 07:18:21PM 0 points [-]

Using more ordinary language, a Kantian might have preferences about the outcomes of his actions, but doesn't think such preferences are the primary concern in what one ought to do.

Oh. Well, that's not a distinction that seems terribly important to me. I'm happy to talk about "preferences" as being (necessarily) causally related to one's actions.