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Manfred comments on Convergence Theories of Meta-Ethics - Less Wrong
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But your algorithm is evaluable - I guess I don't see the difference between "the no-kicking-puppies morality is correct" and "don't kick puppies."
I don't see much difference either. But the algorithm I proposed says neither of those two things.
It says "If you want to know whether kicking puppies is moral, here is how to find out." The algorithm is the same for Americans, Laotians, BabyEaters, FAIs, uFAIs, and presumably Neanderthals before the dog was invented as a domesticated wolf. The algorithm instructs the user to consider an idealized version of the society in which he is embedded.
Please consider the possibility that some executions of that algorithm might yield different results than did the execution which you performed, using your own society.
Well, but then it's "kicking puppies is immoral if X." A conditional doesn't seem to change the fact that something is a moral claim. Hmm... or would it in some situations? I can't think of any. Oh, you could just rephrase it as "kicking puppies when X is immoral," which is more clearly a moral claim.
Only (an exception) when there is something after the "IF" that indirectly or directly supplies the moral unit. Then it could be a mere logical claim - but most will be unable to distinguish that from a moral claim anyway. The decision to apply an unambiguous, fully specified logical deduction to based on a moral value is usually considered a moral judgement itself.
Apparently you and I interpret the quoted Wikipedia passage differently, and I don't see how to resolve it.
Nor, now that I think about it, do I see a reason why either of us should care. Why are we engaged in arguing about definitions? I am bowing out.