TheOtherDave comments on Please Don't Fight the Hypothetical - Less Wrong

19 Post author: TimS 20 April 2012 02:29PM

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Comment author: TheOtherDave 21 April 2012 05:38:29PM 2 points [-]

TvDS is a thought experiment in which (particular flavors of) deontology support a conclusion that most people find comfortable ("torture is bad, dust specks in your eye are no big deal") and (particular flavors of) utilitarianism support a conclusion that most people find uncomfortable ("torture is no big deal, dust specks in your eye are bad").

It makes perfect sense to me that people find satisfying being exposed to arguments in which their previously held positions make them feel comfortable, and find disquieting being exposed to arguments in which their previously held positions make them feel uncomfortable.

Comment author: wedrifid 21 April 2012 05:46:31PM 1 point [-]

My point is that the motive for the boast is just that most people are naturally deontologists and so can be anticipated to agree with the deontological boast. Aside from that it is trivially the case that people can be expected to be proud of reaching the correct moral decision based on the fact that they arrived at any decision at all.