Strange7 comments on The Trolley Problem: Dodging moral questions - Less Wrong

13 Post author: Desrtopa 05 December 2010 04:58AM

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Comment author: Jack 05 December 2010 12:49:28PM *  12 points [-]

The purpose of thought experiments and other forms of simulation is to teach us to do better in real life.

Not at all. That's way too broad a claim and definitely not the case for the trolley problem. The purpose of the trolley problem is to isolate and identify people's moral intuitions.

Comment author: Strange7 06 December 2010 12:12:56AM 0 points [-]

And what is the purpose of identifying moral intuitions?

Comment author: DSimon 06 December 2010 02:22:51PM *  7 points [-]

Figuring out how to manipulate those intuitions in order to increase sales of Frosted Flakes.

Comment author: Strange7 06 December 2010 04:11:14PM 1 point [-]

In which case those who neither currently want Frosted Flakes nor want to want them are still best served by not participating.

Comment author: David_Gerard 06 December 2010 04:18:28PM *  2 points [-]
  1. We just need to infiltrate the philosophy departments and get them to post to blogs to try to convince people that answering hypotheticals is what an honest thinking person should do.
  2. Lots of manipulable intuitions.
  3. Profit!
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