Stuart_Armstrong comments on A (small) critique of total utilitarianism - Less Wrong

36 Post author: Stuart_Armstrong 26 June 2012 12:36PM

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Comment author: wedrifid 27 June 2012 01:55:58PM *  6 points [-]

A smaller critique of total utilitarianism:

In total utilitarianism, it is a morally neutral act to kill someone (in a painless and unexpected manner) and creating/giving birth to another being of comparable happiness (or preference satisfaction or welfare).

You can just finish there.

(In case the "sufficient cause to reject total utilitarianism" isn't clear: I don't like murder. Total utilitarianism advocates it in all sorts of scenarios that I would not. Therefore, total utilitarianism is Evil.)

Comment author: Stuart_Armstrong 28 June 2012 11:42:49AM *  5 points [-]

You can just finish there.

:-) I kinda did. The rest was just "there are no strong countervailing reasons to reject that intuition".

Comment author: wedrifid 28 June 2012 12:59:52PM 1 point [-]

:-) I kinda did. The rest was just "there are no strong countervailing reasons to reject that intuition".

Excellent post then. I kind of stopped after the first line so I'll take your word for the rest!