FAWS comments on Cryonics Questions - Less Wrong

9 Post author: James_Miller 26 August 2010 11:19PM

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Comment author: FAWS 26 August 2010 11:51:42PM *  0 points [-]

The conclusion from 6. doesn't follow.

Comment author: James_Miller 27 August 2010 12:59:55AM 0 points [-]

I agree it doesn't follow in the sense of a mathematical proof. But someone who answered yes to (6) but claimed that she doesn't value her life enough to do cryonics would sort of be contradicting themselves.

Comment author: FAWS 27 August 2010 07:52:54AM *  2 points [-]

I mean that signing up for cryonics and making an attempt to avoid being butchered are so completely different that there are thousands of possible ways for one to do 6 and still consistently claim not to value ones life enough to sign up for cryonics. I don't claim to not value my life highly enough and personally think that's a completely ridiculous reason, but if there is any rational cryonics objector who actually making that excuse they would rightfully consider 6. a straw man.

For example you might think that not bothering to save your life in 6 would be the rational thing to do for you given your values, but expect instinct to take over. Or you strongly object to violence and would fight just to spite your would be murderer. Or to send a signal to make murder less and resistance more appealing for others. Perhaps you are afraid of any pain involved in dieing, but not death itself, and consider cryonics useless because it doesn't prevent pain. Perhaps you hate bureaucracy and don't value your life highly enough to fill out all the forms you expect to be necessary for cryonics, but don't mind physical activity.

I just think that 6. doesn't add anything useful at all given 1., and is so obviously less well thought out that it makes the whole thing weaker.

Comment author: Nisan 27 August 2010 03:56:05AM 2 points [-]

Perhaps what FAWS is getting at is that saying "yes" to 6 doesn't mean that you think your life is worth the financial cost of cryonics. But that was addressed in question 1. Saying "yes" to 6 really means that you can't pretend that your life isn't worth saving at all.

Comment author: TobyBartels 27 August 2010 03:58:02AM 0 points [-]

Like I argued for the others, (6) should say something like ‘if no other objections already apply’. For instance, you might not value your life as much as cryonics costs, but that's question (1); etc.