MugaSofer comments on DRAFT:Ethical Zombies - A Post On Reality-Fluid - Less Wrong

0 Post author: MugaSofer 09 January 2013 01:38PM

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Comment author: MugaSofer 11 January 2013 01:15:23PM -2 points [-]

If you create a precise duplicate of the universe in a simulation, I don't regard that we have gained anything; I consider that two instances of indistinguishable utility aren't cumulative. If you create a precise duplicate of me in a simulation and then torture that duplicate, utility decreases.

This may seem to be favoring "average" utility, but I think the distinction is in the fact that torturing an entity represents, not lower utility, but disutility; because I regard a duplicate universe as adding no utility, the negative utility shows up as a net loss.

I'm basically assuming this reality-fluid stuff is legit for the purposes of this post. I included the most common argument in it's favor (the probability argument) but I'm not setting out to defend it, I'm just exploring the consequences.