buybuydandavis comments on Bad Concepts Repository - Less Wrong

20 Post author: moridinamael 27 June 2013 03:16AM

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Comment author: buybuydandavis 28 June 2013 01:44:00AM 2 points [-]

"It isn't fair."

Ask someone to what "it" refers, and they'll generally be shocked by the notion that their words should have referents. When the shock wears off, it will be that "the situation" is unfair, which is a category error. The state of the universe is unfair? Is gravity unfair too? How about the fact that it rained yesterday?

Fairness is a quality of a moral being or rules enforced by moral beings. But there is rarely any particular unfair being or rule enforced by beings behind "it isn't fair".

"It isn't fair" empirically means "I don't like it and I approve of and support taking something out of someone's hide to quell my discomfort."

Comment author: RomeoStevens 28 June 2013 07:27:31AM 5 points [-]

I have no problem with referring to states of the universe as unfair.

Comment author: buybuydandavis 28 June 2013 08:54:34AM 1 point [-]

I'm sure the universe feels terribly guilty about it's transgression when you do.

Comment author: pragmatist 28 June 2013 09:10:00AM *  2 points [-]

Inducing guilt in the target of the judgment is not the sole (or even primary) purpose of moral judgment, nor is it a necessary feature. That the target must be capable of experiencing guilt is not a necessary feature either. Do you disagree with any of this?

I am, in general, much more inclined to attribute unfairness to states of affairs than to people. Usually it's a state of affairs that people could potentially do something to alter/mitigate, though, so I wouldn't call a law of nature unfair.

Comment author: buybuydandavis 28 June 2013 09:31:49AM 0 points [-]

In case it wasn't clear, my comment on the universe felling guilty was my way of pointing out the futility of considering the universe unfair.

Do you disagree with any of this?

No.

Comment author: pragmatist 28 June 2013 09:37:36AM 3 points [-]

In case it wasn't clear, my comment on the universe felling guilty was my way of pointing out the futility of considering the universe unfair.

But human beings can change states of the universe. Is your point that they will not be motivated to do so if the judgment of unfairness is impersonal?

Comment author: wedrifid 03 July 2013 04:35:59PM 1 point [-]

"It isn't fair" empirically means "I don't like it and I approve of and support taking something out of someone's hide to quell my discomfort."

It quite often means "I don't like it and will attempt to change it by the application of social pressure and other means as deemed necessary".