Bob3 comments on The "Intuitions" Behind "Utilitarianism" - Less Wrong
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Comments (193)
I share El's despair. Look at the forest, folks. The point is that you *have* to recognize that harm aggregates (and not to an asymptote) or you are willing to do terrible things. The idea of torture is introduced precisely to make it hard to see. But it is important, particularly in light of how easily our brains fail to scale harm and benefit. Geez, I don't even have to look at the research El cites - the comments are enough.
Stop saying the specks are "zero harm." This is a thought experiment and they are defined as positive harm.
Stop saying that torture is different. This is a thought experiment and torture is defined to be absolutely terrible, but finite, harm.
Stop saying that torture is infinite harm. That's just silly.
Stop proving the point over and over in the comments!
/rant/