CronoDAS comments on Debate between 80,000 hours and a socialist - Less Wrong

5 Post author: jkaufman 07 June 2012 01:30PM

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Comment author: CronoDAS 08 June 2012 06:46:55PM 3 points [-]

If a friend asked me whether she should vote in the upcoming Presidential election, I would advise her not to. It would be an inconvenience, and the chance of her vote making a difference to the outcome in my state is minuscule. From a consequentialist point of view, there is a good argument that it would be (mildly) unethical for her to vote, given the non-negligible cost and the negligible benefit. So if I were her personal ethical adviser, I would advise her not to vote. This analysis applies not just to my friend, but to most people in my state. So I might conclude that I would encourage significant good if I launched a large-scale state-wide media blitz discouraging voter turn-out. But this would be a bad idea! What is sound ethical advice directed at an individual is irresponsible when directed at the aggregate.

The fewer people that vote, the more influential each vote is. Everyone else, stay home on Election Day! ;)