SilentCal comments on Integral versus differential ethics - Less Wrong Discussion
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In the ethics case, I'm similarly hopeful that there is a coherent answer--that is, that if the repugnant conclusion really is wrong, a perfect differential reasoner would immediately spot the flawed step without having to consider the integral effect, and if the repugnant conclusion is correct, a perfect integral reasoner would see that without having to construct a series of mere addition steps.
Why do I think there's a coherent answer? Maybe just optimism... but the post was suggesting that we should use integral ethics more. The 'should' in the previous sentence suggests that the choice between the obvious differential answer and the obvious integral answer is at least not arbitrary. Also, maybe I'm taking the mathematical terminology too literally, but to a logically perfect reasoner the differential and integral forms should imply each other.