Re: Utilitarian Contradiction ?

From: Ian Goddard (igoddard@netkonnect.net)
Date: Mon May 25 1998 - 15:19:56 MDT


At 04:06 PM 5/25/98 -0400, Daniel Fabulich wrote:

>> IAN: OK, but that introduces concpets not stated
>> previously. So which, "me first" or "ulilitarianism,"
>> are you saying is deontological and which consequential?
>
>I was using an analogy; both of these philosophies are consequentialist,
>but you cannot construe utilitarianism to be egoism because of their
>important differences. Using your notation, all of U must be in M in
>order to say that they are the same philosophy.

   IAN: I clearly didn't say M and U were the same
   philosophy. I simply observed that they intersect:
   http://www.extropy.com/exi-lists/extropians/5203.html

>As to whether the intersection of M and non-aggression (NA) is entirely
>within U, we have another thought experiment, this one orginally from
>David Friedman. Suppose you had a madman on the loose, who will kill
>hundreds of people unless you shoot him immediately. Unfortunately, you
>do not own a gun; but MY gun could be easily stolen and used to save the
>people. I am not aruond, but I have mde it explicitly clear that I want
>no one to use my gun no matter how important the cause.
>
>Utilitarianism will steal the gun and save the people, then repay the gun
>owner in whatever way possible; M U NA would not aggress against the gun
>owner.

   IAN: Yes, that address the issue quite directly.
   Would you say that this defines a degree of dis-
   junction between L and U? We agree as per M and
   U. I find that expressing ideas according to set
   theory helps us "see" what we're talking about,
   and thus maximizes accuracy and understanding.

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