Re:Why Can't We All Just Get Along? Uncertain Biological Bas...
by roenxi on Monday August 03, 2020 @07:20AM
(#24036347)
> Utilitarianism and its hard problem of not killing your grandmother if she isn't contributing anymore.
Doesn't seem that hard. When I'm old and feeble I'll be totally relying on social systems to protect me (respect for property rights, policing, etc). Ergo, I should be working as hard as possible now to make the system robust such that people can't hurt the elderly. If they aren't safe, I will eventually be wiped out.
If I'm in a position where I can kill my mother to benefit myself, the rational lifetime-optimum response is to improve the system of policing and investigation so I couldn't possibly get away with it. This will inconvenience me now but secure my comfort in the future.
> I cannot understand utilitarians who believe that all of morality should be utilitarian
Nothing to understand in my opinion, they just haven't thought it through. Same thing can be applied to rationalists and romanticists. Doesn't apply to everyone of course.
But intrinsic to utilitarianism is always the question of who the recipient for this utility should be. And it quickly disintegrates before that question in my opinion.