James_Miller comments on Morality open thread - Less Wrong

6 Post author: Will_Newsome 08 July 2012 02:30PM

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Comment author: James_Miller 09 July 2012 07:02:16PM 0 points [-]

I should have written "Evil, I believe, is taking UTILITY in other peoples' pain."

Am I somehow wrong, then, when I say I enjoy watching people suffer... I only think I enjoy it but I really don't?

From a rational actor microeconomic viewpoint this doesn't make sense. But if you believe that enjoyment has some objective, physical basis in the brain then it just means you are mistaken.

Comment author: prase 09 July 2012 10:01:52PM 1 point [-]

Torturing a masochist with his consent isn't evil. So you perhaps should have written "Evil, I believe, is taking UTILITY in other peoples' DISUTILITY." But then, the definition of evil equals your original definition of hate tautologically. Which may or may not be what you've intended.

Comment author: TheOtherDave 09 July 2012 08:08:08PM 1 point [-]

I've made no claims about the basis for enjoyment, physical or otherwise, merely about my ability to recognize when I am enjoying something. But evidently the talk of enjoyment was a red herring to begin with, so I'm happy to drop it here.