Xbox controllers are Battlemechs, with the idosyncracies of lost/found/lost again technological concepts before settling on rugged utilitarianism.
February 11, 2026 at 11:49 PM
Xbox controllers are Battlemechs, with the idosyncracies of lost/found/lost again technological concepts before settling on rugged utilitarianism.
[sees a fictional woman who has to be told to prioritize comfort over practicality and struggles to decide things based on what she likes rather than utilitarianism] trans. she has or had a penis.
February 7, 2026 at 4:13 PM
[sees a fictional woman who has to be told to prioritize comfort over practicality and struggles to decide things based on what she likes rather than utilitarianism] trans. she has or had a penis.
…moral hazards, and interconnected incentive structures. Even some thinking through tech & policy via deontology, utilitarianism, & care ethics.
(NB: this class is offically titled "Ethics, Privacy, and Governance of Data for Social Good" but that's long as hell so i just go with "Data Governance")
(NB: this class is offically titled "Ethics, Privacy, and Governance of Data for Social Good" but that's long as hell so i just go with "Data Governance")
February 11, 2026 at 3:55 PM
…moral hazards, and interconnected incentive structures. Even some thinking through tech & policy via deontology, utilitarianism, & care ethics.
(NB: this class is offically titled "Ethics, Privacy, and Governance of Data for Social Good" but that's long as hell so i just go with "Data Governance")
(NB: this class is offically titled "Ethics, Privacy, and Governance of Data for Social Good" but that's long as hell so i just go with "Data Governance")
I'm always going on about the Trolley Problem being misunderstood. It's a thought experiment about the difficulty of reconciling utilitarianism and basic human empathy! It's *meant* to be an irreconcilable trap! You do harm either way, you feel guilt either way, utilitarianism is *suboptimal*!
Vaguely formed thought:
I have seen a trolley problem illustration where the trolley has been derailed due to clever track switching, and the caption is along the lines of "union workers could solve this" and, like, no. You dorks. This isn't a thing to be solved. It is not a puzzle with a trick.
I have seen a trolley problem illustration where the trolley has been derailed due to clever track switching, and the caption is along the lines of "union workers could solve this" and, like, no. You dorks. This isn't a thing to be solved. It is not a puzzle with a trick.
February 6, 2026 at 12:23 PM
I'm always going on about the Trolley Problem being misunderstood. It's a thought experiment about the difficulty of reconciling utilitarianism and basic human empathy! It's *meant* to be an irreconcilable trap! You do harm either way, you feel guilt either way, utilitarianism is *suboptimal*!
And people say utilitarianism is nonsense
Money can buy happiness. If Elon Musk built a rocket and shot himself into the fucking sun that would generate massive happiness.
it’s genuinely reassuring to me that this is the most miserable and paranoid person in the entire world
February 5, 2026 at 8:08 PM
And people say utilitarianism is nonsense
I dunk on Huemer a lot but he gets points for turning to rule utilitarianism (and endorsement of theft in extreme cases), yet it's a pretty severe backdoor for egalitarian considerations... including my insane "there are no objective titles, disagreement is inherent, fine, and necessary" stuff.
February 9, 2026 at 11:23 PM
I dunk on Huemer a lot but he gets points for turning to rule utilitarianism (and endorsement of theft in extreme cases), yet it's a pretty severe backdoor for egalitarian considerations... including my insane "there are no objective titles, disagreement is inherent, fine, and necessary" stuff.
I think this comment is correct: these techno-utopian EA weirdos do think that humans are data in/data out machines. And that’s tied up with their peculiarly awful kind of utilitarianism
They believe that human thinking (“Reason”) is like this, and believe that’s how we ought to approach life
They believe that human thinking (“Reason”) is like this, and believe that’s how we ought to approach life
If it’s not “AI are sentient like humans” the other implication could be that humans are also just data in/data out machines like AI. All just so offensive to us as living breathing creatures on a pretty foundational level.
February 11, 2026 at 8:06 PM
I think this comment is correct: these techno-utopian EA weirdos do think that humans are data in/data out machines. And that’s tied up with their peculiarly awful kind of utilitarianism
They believe that human thinking (“Reason”) is like this, and believe that’s how we ought to approach life
They believe that human thinking (“Reason”) is like this, and believe that’s how we ought to approach life
nationalize Amazon and Tesla. Imprison Musk and Bezos. Utilitarianism tells us this is the moral action to take
February 5, 2026 at 9:28 PM
nationalize Amazon and Tesla. Imprison Musk and Bezos. Utilitarianism tells us this is the moral action to take
It's no accident that the kind of utilitarianism that Bostrom peddled is attractive to the powerful. It's no accident that it's popular among certain AI folks. It's no accident that it's popular among techno-fascists. It lends itself to categorizing people according to their "usefulness"
„Bostrom, whose now-defunct Future of Humanity Institute at Oxford was financed by Musk, began engaging with Edge a year after Epstein’s 2008 conviction. He attended Edge events, billionaire dinners, was featured as top thinker on AI, contributed like clockwork to its annual questions for a decade.“
February 5, 2026 at 8:18 PM
It's no accident that the kind of utilitarianism that Bostrom peddled is attractive to the powerful. It's no accident that it's popular among certain AI folks. It's no accident that it's popular among techno-fascists. It lends itself to categorizing people according to their "usefulness"
The result is a sweeping yet intimate narrative: a collision of ideas, technologies, and moral visions played out on a planetary scale; relationships connected by silk threads- delicate yet strong. As the forces of authoritarian control, technological utilitarianism...
February 9, 2026 at 7:30 PM
The result is a sweeping yet intimate narrative: a collision of ideas, technologies, and moral visions played out on a planetary scale; relationships connected by silk threads- delicate yet strong. As the forces of authoritarian control, technological utilitarianism...
This summer “artificial intelligence” will turn 70 years old.
Like many 70-year-olds it retains ideological assumptions dominant in its youth: Utilitarianism (cost/benefit analysis); mechanistic models of life and mind; behaviorism (Skinneresque “training”); eugenics; etc.
Like many 70-year-olds it retains ideological assumptions dominant in its youth: Utilitarianism (cost/benefit analysis); mechanistic models of life and mind; behaviorism (Skinneresque “training”); eugenics; etc.
February 4, 2026 at 5:31 PM
This summer “artificial intelligence” will turn 70 years old.
Like many 70-year-olds it retains ideological assumptions dominant in its youth: Utilitarianism (cost/benefit analysis); mechanistic models of life and mind; behaviorism (Skinneresque “training”); eugenics; etc.
Like many 70-year-olds it retains ideological assumptions dominant in its youth: Utilitarianism (cost/benefit analysis); mechanistic models of life and mind; behaviorism (Skinneresque “training”); eugenics; etc.
My vote is simultaneously too precious to sully with mere utilitarianism and also meaningless because I’m just a little guy who lives in a blue state
February 2, 2026 at 3:05 PM
My vote is simultaneously too precious to sully with mere utilitarianism and also meaningless because I’m just a little guy who lives in a blue state
Baffling how Utilitarianism perverts trot out this 'apolitical' apologism, whilst embracing objectively right-wing (and sometimes outright fascistic) political conclusions.
It's centrism in a fancy outfit. Bentham would hold them down whilst JS Mill punches them in the face.
It's centrism in a fancy outfit. Bentham would hold them down whilst JS Mill punches them in the face.
I could not give a stuff for Left & Right. It is what works - in the sense of increasing the sum of human happiness - that matters
I have yet to see day-dreaming produce anything like that
I have yet to see day-dreaming produce anything like that
February 3, 2026 at 11:09 AM
Baffling how Utilitarianism perverts trot out this 'apolitical' apologism, whilst embracing objectively right-wing (and sometimes outright fascistic) political conclusions.
It's centrism in a fancy outfit. Bentham would hold them down whilst JS Mill punches them in the face.
It's centrism in a fancy outfit. Bentham would hold them down whilst JS Mill punches them in the face.
Public transport is where utilitarianism shines
People who hold up an entire train by blocking the door from closing just to wait for their one buddy …
You’re delaying several hundred people, you egotistical fuck.
You’re delaying several hundred people, you egotistical fuck.
February 2, 2026 at 10:48 AM
Public transport is where utilitarianism shines
Winning microkernel:
1) Never give up. Always time box w/ thoughtfully jittered exponential backoff and a solid clock⏳📈
2) Do no irreversible action without due process and balanced awareness of urgency (there's that good clock again) ⚔️⚖️🗓️
3) Rule utilitarianism is best utilitarianism 🏛️💒
1) Never give up. Always time box w/ thoughtfully jittered exponential backoff and a solid clock⏳📈
2) Do no irreversible action without due process and balanced awareness of urgency (there's that good clock again) ⚔️⚖️🗓️
3) Rule utilitarianism is best utilitarianism 🏛️💒
February 3, 2026 at 6:10 AM
Winning microkernel:
1) Never give up. Always time box w/ thoughtfully jittered exponential backoff and a solid clock⏳📈
2) Do no irreversible action without due process and balanced awareness of urgency (there's that good clock again) ⚔️⚖️🗓️
3) Rule utilitarianism is best utilitarianism 🏛️💒
1) Never give up. Always time box w/ thoughtfully jittered exponential backoff and a solid clock⏳📈
2) Do no irreversible action without due process and balanced awareness of urgency (there's that good clock again) ⚔️⚖️🗓️
3) Rule utilitarianism is best utilitarianism 🏛️💒
The American dilemma: the only educational freedom most are allowed to partake in is utilitarianism
January 31, 2026 at 5:02 PM
The American dilemma: the only educational freedom most are allowed to partake in is utilitarianism
Today in Bastardised Utilitarianism:
"You think women should have bodily autonomy to get an abortion, but I shouldn't have bodily autonomy when it comes to vaccines."
a) Vaccines keep everyone safe.
b) A woman who you don't know having an abortion doesn't affect you.
"You think women should have bodily autonomy to get an abortion, but I shouldn't have bodily autonomy when it comes to vaccines."
a) Vaccines keep everyone safe.
b) A woman who you don't know having an abortion doesn't affect you.
Today in Bastardised Utilitarianism:
"You don't like white supremacists having guns, but you think leftists should have guns."
a) Leftists use guns to protect the innocent.
b) White supremacists use guns to victimize everyone around them.
"You don't like white supremacists having guns, but you think leftists should have guns."
a) Leftists use guns to protect the innocent.
b) White supremacists use guns to victimize everyone around them.
Today in Bastardised Utilitarianism:
"You think everyone should wear masks, but upset that ICE agents wear masks."
a) Everyone should wear masks. This protects society.
b) ICE agents shouldn't exist. They use masks to put everyone in danger.
"You think everyone should wear masks, but upset that ICE agents wear masks."
a) Everyone should wear masks. This protects society.
b) ICE agents shouldn't exist. They use masks to put everyone in danger.
January 30, 2026 at 8:12 AM
Today in Bastardised Utilitarianism:
"You think women should have bodily autonomy to get an abortion, but I shouldn't have bodily autonomy when it comes to vaccines."
a) Vaccines keep everyone safe.
b) A woman who you don't know having an abortion doesn't affect you.
"You think women should have bodily autonomy to get an abortion, but I shouldn't have bodily autonomy when it comes to vaccines."
a) Vaccines keep everyone safe.
b) A woman who you don't know having an abortion doesn't affect you.
yeah it is a lot *less* urgent for autonomous car makers to answer the trolley problem than it is for philosophers
and philosophically, I'm not being anti-utilitarian. I don't like act utilitarianism because the things that make a difference happens before the kind of choice point it envisions
and philosophically, I'm not being anti-utilitarian. I don't like act utilitarianism because the things that make a difference happens before the kind of choice point it envisions
January 31, 2026 at 5:44 PM
yeah it is a lot *less* urgent for autonomous car makers to answer the trolley problem than it is for philosophers
and philosophically, I'm not being anti-utilitarian. I don't like act utilitarianism because the things that make a difference happens before the kind of choice point it envisions
and philosophically, I'm not being anti-utilitarian. I don't like act utilitarianism because the things that make a difference happens before the kind of choice point it envisions
(I genuinely pay hundreds of thousands of yen to my CPA here in Japan every year to make it their problem in part because even as someone who self-filed back in the States, it's a design hostility rooted in bureaucratic utilitarianism and hell if I was gonna navigate it in my non-native language.)
January 30, 2026 at 5:04 PM
(I genuinely pay hundreds of thousands of yen to my CPA here in Japan every year to make it their problem in part because even as someone who self-filed back in the States, it's a design hostility rooted in bureaucratic utilitarianism and hell if I was gonna navigate it in my non-native language.)
Today in Bastardised Utilitarianism:
"You don't like white supremacists having guns, but you think leftists should have guns."
a) Leftists use guns to protect the innocent.
b) White supremacists use guns to victimize everyone around them.
"You don't like white supremacists having guns, but you think leftists should have guns."
a) Leftists use guns to protect the innocent.
b) White supremacists use guns to victimize everyone around them.
Today in Bastardised Utilitarianism:
"You think everyone should wear masks, but upset that ICE agents wear masks."
a) Everyone should wear masks. This protects society.
b) ICE agents shouldn't exist. They use masks to put everyone in danger.
"You think everyone should wear masks, but upset that ICE agents wear masks."
a) Everyone should wear masks. This protects society.
b) ICE agents shouldn't exist. They use masks to put everyone in danger.
January 30, 2026 at 8:10 AM
Today in Bastardised Utilitarianism:
"You don't like white supremacists having guns, but you think leftists should have guns."
a) Leftists use guns to protect the innocent.
b) White supremacists use guns to victimize everyone around them.
"You don't like white supremacists having guns, but you think leftists should have guns."
a) Leftists use guns to protect the innocent.
b) White supremacists use guns to victimize everyone around them.
Today in Bastardised Utilitarianism:
"You think everyone should wear masks, but upset that ICE agents wear masks."
a) Everyone should wear masks. This protects society.
b) ICE agents shouldn't exist. They use masks to put everyone in danger.
"You think everyone should wear masks, but upset that ICE agents wear masks."
a) Everyone should wear masks. This protects society.
b) ICE agents shouldn't exist. They use masks to put everyone in danger.
January 30, 2026 at 8:09 AM
Today in Bastardised Utilitarianism:
"You think everyone should wear masks, but upset that ICE agents wear masks."
a) Everyone should wear masks. This protects society.
b) ICE agents shouldn't exist. They use masks to put everyone in danger.
"You think everyone should wear masks, but upset that ICE agents wear masks."
a) Everyone should wear masks. This protects society.
b) ICE agents shouldn't exist. They use masks to put everyone in danger.
Nevermind the jobs you had, tell me five classes you took at university
Utilitarianism (fucked me up forever)
Class Analysis and Historical Change
Game Theory (I was the only woman in class 😭)
Contemporary American Society (we watched Lost Highway and Zizek videos)
Media Theory and Analysis
Utilitarianism (fucked me up forever)
Class Analysis and Historical Change
Game Theory (I was the only woman in class 😭)
Contemporary American Society (we watched Lost Highway and Zizek videos)
Media Theory and Analysis
Nevermind the jobs you had, tell me five classes you took at university
Medical Anthropology
Biomedical Ethics
Theory of Computation
Human-Computer Interaction
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
Medical Anthropology
Biomedical Ethics
Theory of Computation
Human-Computer Interaction
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
Nevermind the jobs you had, tell me five classes you took at university
History of north america
Real analysis II
Canadian literature
Economic History
Reading course on disease modelling
History of north america
Real analysis II
Canadian literature
Economic History
Reading course on disease modelling
January 31, 2026 at 12:25 AM
Nevermind the jobs you had, tell me five classes you took at university
Utilitarianism (fucked me up forever)
Class Analysis and Historical Change
Game Theory (I was the only woman in class 😭)
Contemporary American Society (we watched Lost Highway and Zizek videos)
Media Theory and Analysis
Utilitarianism (fucked me up forever)
Class Analysis and Historical Change
Game Theory (I was the only woman in class 😭)
Contemporary American Society (we watched Lost Highway and Zizek videos)
Media Theory and Analysis
A moral philosophy paper recently written by me, presenting a new liar paradox-like argument about consequentialism.
It would be great if you could share this to promote my work, thank you :
philpapers.org/rec/IONCJP
#philosophy #ethics #consequentialism #deontology #metaethics #utilitarianism
It would be great if you could share this to promote my work, thank you :
philpapers.org/rec/IONCJP
#philosophy #ethics #consequentialism #deontology #metaethics #utilitarianism
Arthur Ionescu, The Consequentialist Judgment Paradox - PhilPapers
In normative ethics, some of the oldest and still lively debates revolve around the question of consequentialism. The question is not so much about making a binary decision between consequentialism an...
philpapers.org
January 27, 2026 at 4:15 PM
A moral philosophy paper recently written by me, presenting a new liar paradox-like argument about consequentialism.
It would be great if you could share this to promote my work, thank you :
philpapers.org/rec/IONCJP
#philosophy #ethics #consequentialism #deontology #metaethics #utilitarianism
It would be great if you could share this to promote my work, thank you :
philpapers.org/rec/IONCJP
#philosophy #ethics #consequentialism #deontology #metaethics #utilitarianism
Yeah, I get it...
It's kinda the whole utilitarianism vs deontology clash we have...
I do get his point of view, but I still don't approve his ways, haha
It's kinda the whole utilitarianism vs deontology clash we have...
I do get his point of view, but I still don't approve his ways, haha
January 26, 2026 at 5:54 PM
Yeah, I get it...
It's kinda the whole utilitarianism vs deontology clash we have...
I do get his point of view, but I still don't approve his ways, haha
It's kinda the whole utilitarianism vs deontology clash we have...
I do get his point of view, but I still don't approve his ways, haha
Star Trek: Insurrection is a film concerned about the fate of six hundred people in a galaxy of trillions.
Doing the right thing isn’t some sort of cold, Ones-Who-Walk-Away-From-Omelas utilitarianism. It’s about those present.
These are people who need help, or they will suffer untold horror.
Doing the right thing isn’t some sort of cold, Ones-Who-Walk-Away-From-Omelas utilitarianism. It’s about those present.
These are people who need help, or they will suffer untold horror.
"How many people does it take before it becomes wrong?
A thousand?
Fifty thousand?
A million?
How many people does it take, admiral?"
- Jean-Luc Picard, Star Trek: Insurrection
A thousand?
Fifty thousand?
A million?
How many people does it take, admiral?"
- Jean-Luc Picard, Star Trek: Insurrection
January 25, 2026 at 9:33 PM
Star Trek: Insurrection is a film concerned about the fate of six hundred people in a galaxy of trillions.
Doing the right thing isn’t some sort of cold, Ones-Who-Walk-Away-From-Omelas utilitarianism. It’s about those present.
These are people who need help, or they will suffer untold horror.
Doing the right thing isn’t some sort of cold, Ones-Who-Walk-Away-From-Omelas utilitarianism. It’s about those present.
These are people who need help, or they will suffer untold horror.