anonymous1 comments on By Which It May Be Judged - Less Wrong

35 Post author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 10 December 2012 04:26AM

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Comment author: [deleted] 11 December 2012 05:12:29PM 2 points [-]

You do not reason with evil. You condemn it.

I subscribe to desirism. So I'm not a strict anti-realist.

Comment author: Peterdjones 11 December 2012 05:45:30PM *  0 points [-]

"Anyone can be reasoned into doing that which would fulfill the most and strongest of current desires. However, what fulfills current desires is not necessarily the same thing as what is right."

You seem to be overlooking the desire to be (seen to be) reasonable in itself.

"Anyone can be reasoned into doing what is right with enough argumentation”

...is probably false. But if reasoning and condemnation both modify bechaviour, however imperfectly, why not use both?

I subscribe to desirism

How does that differ from virtue ethics?

Comment author: wedrifid 12 December 2012 04:19:14AM 0 points [-]

You do not reason with evil. You condemn it.

You can spend your energy on condemnation if you wish. It doesn't sound like the most efficient use of my time. It is highly unlikely that political activism (which is what condemnation is about, either implicitly or explicitly) against any particular evil is the optimal way for me to do 'good'.