Eugine_Nier comments on No Universally Compelling Arguments in Math or Science - Less Wrong

30 Post author: ChrisHallquist 05 November 2013 03:32AM

You are viewing a comment permalink. View the original post to see all comments and the full post content.

Comments (227)

You are viewing a single comment's thread. Show more comments above.

Comment author: Eugine_Nier 06 November 2013 05:46:02AM *  -2 points [-]

Consider a mind that thinks the following:

  • I don't want to die
  • If I drink that poison, I'll die
  • Therefore I should drink that poison

But don't consider it very long, because it drank the poison and now it's dead and not a mind anymore.

This argument also puts limits on the goals the mind can have, e.g., forbidding minds that want to die.

I don't immediately see how to get anything interesting about morality that way, but it's an avenue worth pursuing.

Start by requiring the mind to be able to function in an environment with similar minds.