Brillyant comments on Rationalists Are Less Credulous But Better At Taking Ideas Seriously - Less Wrong

43 Post author: Yvain 21 January 2014 02:18AM

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Comment author: Brillyant 21 January 2014 07:17:39PM *  0 points [-]

But we've already established that life needn't be of infinite duration. I can end it at any time, that's implicit in the question of when I would choose to die. It's of indefinite duration, which isn't the same thing at all.

I'm assuming you'd have the choice to end your life, or the option to continue it forever. Of course, if you were stuck living forever, that would suck. Do you agree? Why or why not?

That aside, though... what are your motivations for doing things now?

I assume the lionshare is in my animal-nature programming. I'm evolved to derive some pleasure from the sorts of activities that benefit the replicators I carry.

Comment author: TheOtherDave 21 January 2014 07:57:08PM 2 points [-]

I'm assuming you'd have the choice to end your life

And, further, you've asserted that you would choose to end it when certain conditions arose, which on your view are guaranteed to arise eventually. So your life would be predictably finite.

Of course, if you were stuck living forever, that would suck. Do you agree? Why or why not?

Generally, I prefer to have choices about things. That said, there are situations where I would willingly give up certain choices, including the choice to die. So it would depend on the situation.

But sure, all else being equal, I would rather have the choice to die.

That said, I'd also rather have the choice to live, which the current arrangement is pretty much guaranteed to deprive me of pretty soon.

Comment author: Brillyant 21 January 2014 08:00:27PM 0 points [-]

Why would it be bad to be unable to choose to stop living?

Comment author: TheOtherDave 21 January 2014 08:24:46PM 1 point [-]

Because situations might arise in which I preferred death to continued life, and in the absence of that choice I'd be unable to effect that preference.
That said, situations might also arise in which I transiently chose to die despite an average preference to continue living, so it depends on what alternatives I have available. I can imagine options superior to my having this choice.

Comment author: blacktrance 21 January 2014 08:11:54PM -1 points [-]

For example, it's better to die than to be tortured forever.