A Series of Thoughts on Lots of Topics

Many musings too short to be articles by themselves, which will combine into one longer article. I also talk about my life a bit, rather than e.g. money pumps, if you're into that sort of thing.

Reach out

I’m writing a philosophy paper, and have various others. If people would like to read them and provide feedback, email me at untrappedzoid@gmail.com or reach out in the comments. Also, find me at my home address at *************************************

The phrase ‘greatest good for the greatest number’ is not a good statement of the utilitarian formula

A particularly striking expression of the popular misunderstanding about this pseudo-maximum problem is the famous statement according to which the purpose of social effort is the "greatest possible good for the greatest possible number." A guiding principle cannot be formulated by the requirement of maximizing two (or more) functions at once.

—Von Neumann and Morgenstern

The utilitarian maxim is often summarized as being about producing the greatest good for the greatest number of people. This phrase, like so many unfortunate errors in the utilitarian tradition, dates back to Bentham. So, as Bentham’s bulldog, let me say—this is a bad definition, Bentham probably didn’t mean it when he said that, and we modern utilitarians do not stand by it.

Suppose that one wants to maximize the amount of mass that pebbles have in the universe. It would be very stupid to call this “bringing about the greatest mass for the greatest number of pebbles.” They don’t care about the number of pebbles—they care about the amount of mass. Thus, describing the number of pebbles only misleads by making it seem like the number of pebbles is relevant, when it only matters instrumentally. Additionally, it then isn’t a well-defined function—as Von Neumann and Morgenstern suggest “A guiding principle cannot be formulated by the requirement of maximizing two (or more) functions at once.” The same thing of course applies to the supposed doctrine of utility. Utilitarianism should thus be framed in terms of being about maximizing overall well-being, while dispensing with number talk.

I chatted with Chris Freiman

That was pretty fun! On the channel, you can also see my chat with Dustin Crummett where he convinces me that souls don’t obviously not exist (though I’m still uncertain about the topic).

A poem

This poem from David Friedman about his mother is very touching

Almost I could drive it in my sleep

Over the bridge and past the mothballed fleet

Almost two hours, left on one thirteen

Third exit right, left, left, right, left and park

Beside the swimming pool. But if I went

To the back door, not even if I brought

My daughter with me, whom she loved as well,

(As anybody would) would she be there.

Boston is farther, most of a day’s flight,

A house there where, for more than half my life,

I’ve spent my New Years. Board games. Lots of food

And conversation. But she died last night.

The party may go on a year or two

Or three on memory, but Marian

Who crafted it, and many things besides,

Tea parties, woven baskets, and a house

Of good repute — a label she denied —

Will not be there.

An explanation of some retributivist intuitions

I think that a lot of our best intuitions come from empathy, imagining ourselves in the shoes of others. We think “imagine if I were in that situation.” But then lots of people have the natural thought “I would never, because I wouldn’t do such and such.” I think this explains a lot of our intuitions about desert—a failure of empathy. I think the same is broadly true about other intuitions—for example, the intuition that animals don’t matter much comes from the fact that it’s hard to imagine being a pig. I can’t prove this, but it does really seem the case when I introspect and question other people. It seems like we feel justified in not empathizing with people when we can think that we ourselves would never be in their situation, and then use that to justify excluding them from our moral circles.

Some articles that are worth reading

This is the first critique of effective altruism I’ve read that I’ve found persuasive, though the author is still an EA; he’s just describing the worst things about it.

Bryan Caplan is probably wrong about education. Combined with his extreme wrongness about eating meat, and his wrongness about mental illness, this makes me treat Caplan with a bit of skepticism. I think he’s pretty smart and worth reading, but I don’t think it makes sense to blindly trust Caplan on topics that one hasn’t looked into. I think that people should see Caplan more like they see Robin Hanson; quite smart, very interesting, and full of weird heterodox views. I think these thinkers have value not based on being right about everything but based on being clever. Just as I wouldn’t blindly defer to Robin Hanson on some topic that I hadn’t explored, I think people shouldn’t defer to Caplan as much as they do, at least, in the circles I hang out in.

Martin Peterson seems pretty smart, and his papers are very good.

One of my best friends made a Substack where his first—and currently only—article is replying to Huemer about time travel. Check it out! Another good friend also made a Substack that’s pretty great.

Theron Pummer is another great philosopher whose papers are super worth reading. Every single paper of his that I’ve read is genius.

Books that I’ve liked

I recently reread Ender’s Shadow and thoroughly enjoyed it. I hadn’t read the sequel, Shadow of the Hegemon, so I read that for the first time, and it’s really good too. You can see the rest of my books that I’m reading on goodreads, and my reviews of them. I didn’t put Ender’s Shadow or Shadow of the Hegemon there, because I only add philosophy books that I read—the ones that I read to learn things, rather than for fun. I’m currently reading Speaker the Dead, the sequel to Ender’s Game and it is excellent—so good that, when I read it before bed, as I feel myself drifting to sleep, I pinch myself so that I can wake myself up and read more.

Apropos of nothing

The show Gilmore Girls is very good. It is hilarious, moving, and quite entertaining. Maybe my second favorite show after The Good Place.

Various lines from songs I like

I also like all the songs!

I had all and then most of you
Some and now none of you
Take me back to the night we met
I don't know what I'm supposed to do
Haunted by the ghost of you
Oh, take me back to the night we met

—The Night We Met by Lord Huron. (Makes me think of someone I used to be friends with, who I miss being friends with, but who now dislikes me :( ).

I'm getting by with my collapsible lung
And it's a good time 100% of the time
And I'm like a ladder with a missing rung
And it's a slow climb headed back to the sky
And I'm feelin' backwards when I'm trying the most
And I hope haven't heard the last words from the holy ghost
'Cause I think that I'm supposed to be
Well on my way by now

—Collapsible Lung by Relient K

I downshifted as I pulled into the driveway
The motor screaming out, stuck in second gear
The scene ends badly, as you might imagine
In a cavalcade of anger and fear
There will be feasting and dancing in Jerusalem next year

—This Year by The Mountain Goats.

Light us up until we pop
I wanna burn bright until we're not
Let's keep each other safe from the world
I'll be your optimistic black hole
Full of love I can't control
Let's keep each other safe from the world

—Lucky People by Waterparks.

What a beautiful face
I have found in this place
That is circling all 'round the sun
What a beautiful dream
That could flash on the screen
In a blink of an eye and be gone from me
Soft and sweet
Let me hold it close and keep it here with me

And one day we will die
And our ashes will fly from the aeroplane over the sea
But for now we are young
Let us lay in the sun
And count every beautiful thing we can see
Love to be
In the arms of all I'm keepin' here with me

—In the Aeroplane Over the Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel

I was Cleopatra, I was taller than the rafters
But that's all in the past now, gone with the wind
Now a nurse in white shoes leads me back to my guestroom
It's a bed and a bathroom
And a place for the end
I won't be late for this, late for that, late for the love of my life
And when I die alone, when I die alone, when I die I'll be on time

—Cleopatra by The Lumineers. This line reminds me of why the fight against aging is so vital.

GPT 4 can give arguments for theism on command

Here’s one example

Title: The Argument from Consciousness Network: A Unique Perspective on Theism

Introduction

Traditional theistic arguments often focus on aspects such as the complexity of the universe, the necessity of a First Cause, or the existence of objective morality. In this essay, we will explore a new argument for theism: the Argument from Consciousness Network. This argument posits that the interconnectedness of conscious experiences among living beings hints at the existence of a divine, all-encompassing consciousness that unifies and transcends individual experiences.

The Argument from Consciousness Network

1. Consciousness is a fundamental and unique aspect of living beings, allowing them to have subjective experiences, thoughts, emotions, and self-awareness.

2. The existence of consciousness cannot be fully explained by physical or material processes alone, as subjective experiences and the so-called "hard problem of consciousness" remain largely mysterious.

3. Throughout human history, individuals across cultures have reported experiences of interconnectedness, unity, and oneness with other beings and the universe as a whole, especially during spiritual, religious, or mystical experiences.

4. These experiences of interconnectedness suggest the existence of a network of consciousness that transcends individual subjective experiences and unites all living beings.

5. The existence of a divine, all-encompassing consciousness could account for this network of consciousness, providing a unifying and transcendent principle that connects all conscious experiences.

6. This divine consciousness would not only serve as the source of the network but also function as the ultimate repository of all conscious experiences, thoughts, and emotions.

7. Therefore, the Argument from Consciousness Network supports the existence of a divine, all-encompassing consciousness as the most plausible explanation for the interconnectedness of conscious experiences among living beings.

Conclusion

The Argument from Consciousness Network offers a fresh perspective on theism by asserting that the interconnectedness of conscious experiences is indicative of a divine, all-encompassing consciousness. By considering the unique and enigmatic nature of consciousness and the shared experiences of unity reported across cultures, this argument invites us to contemplate the possibility of a divine consciousness that transcends individual experiences and unifies all living beings within a vast network of shared awareness.