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TuviaDulin comments on Circular Altruism - Less Wrong
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I see. This is then no longer about not causing "serious problems" -- because a broken leg is a serious problem.
But how far does your argument extent. Let's increase the amount of individual harm: How about 3^^^^3 people tortured for 3 months, vs a single person being tortured for 50 years? Which would you rather?
How about 3^^^^3 people imprisoned unjustly for ten years, in rather bad but not torturing conditions, vs a single person being tortured for 50 years. Which would you rather?
- For the sake of this discussion, we indeed consider the cases individual (we can imagine each case happening in a parallel universe, as you suggest)
Three months of torture is enough to cause immense and longlasting psychological scarring. Ten years out of your life is something that changes the course of a person's life. I would rather someone be tortured for fifty years than have either of the above happen to a large number of people.
I think your choice of broken leg is pretty much exactly at the threshold. I can't think of anything worse than that that wouldn't stand a good chance of ruining someone's life.