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Alicorn comments on Please Don't Fight the Hypothetical - Less Wrong
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For some reason, people keep thinking that Torture vs. Specks was written as an argument for utilitarianism. That makes no sense, because it's the sort of thing that makes utilitarians squirm and deontologists gloat. What it is, instead, is a demand that if you're going to call yourself a utilitarian, you'd better really mean it.
EY's actual arguments for utilitarianism are an attempt to get you to conclude that you should choose Torture over Specks, despite the fact that it feels wrong on a gut level.
*gloat*
That is even more fun as an emote than I thought it would be.
Do you have some preexisting explanation for why you're a deontologist?
I am experiencing a strong desire at this moment for Alicorn to reply "Because it's the right thing to be."
It is only marginally stronger than my desire for her to reply "Because I expect it to have good results," though.
Personally, I'm a virtue ethicist because it has better outcomes. Though I reason consequentially when it's the right thing to do.
Reminds me of Hitchens' cheeky response to questions about free will: "Yes, I have free will; I have no choice but to have it."
I think "because it's the right thing to be" sounds more virtue-ethicist than deontologist.
Is "because I should be" better?
Or do I not understand deontology well enough to make this joke?
This post and the comments under it might help.