Bob3 comments on Leaky Generalizations - LessWrong

20 Post author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 22 November 2007 09:16PM

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Comment author: Bob3 23 November 2007 08:41:22PM 1 point [-]

Doug S,

You have to use ex ante probabilities - just because the fat dude stops the trolley once in a million times doesn't make it a moral act that one time. In practice we almost never know the probabilities, which leads to the ends-means conclusion. What's interesting is how many folks are willing to, in the face of not knowing the probabilities, substitute intentions. Which has its own saying.