[2012-Apr-03] Paranoia

[sotic]

http://www.smbc-comics.com/?id=2569

I think this would have made a good short story, actually. The concept isn't terribly original, but the execution could be really good in prose form.

[Lich Mong]

It's just Robert Nozick's "utility monster" theory:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utility_monster

I do like the a concept. It's kinda fun to think about, and it's a good argument against the "evil" of utilitarianism.

[FYIGuy]

FYI: This problem can be solved by maximizing average happiness where average is actually an exponentially weighted average. Unhappier people get bigger weights.

[Sprinkles]

Well there we go then.

[Lich Mong]

How would you then avoid the "Repugnant Conclusion" of the mere addition paradox?

[Sprinkles]

Happiness is of no value, it's just a chemical in your brain. Inject serotonin into everyone's head, job done.

[Lich Mong]

FYI: This problem can be solved by maximizing average happiness where average is actually an exponentially weighted average. Unhappier people get bigger weights.

I guess the only question I have to this would be to ask on what grounds you would make such an addition?
How are you objectively determining that 'Felix' being in an utility/happiness loop isn't -in fact- the best outcome?

Additionally, assuming Felix is effectent enough, the weighting might not be enough. How would you determine what the weighting 'should' be?

[sotic]

Happiness is of no value, it's just a chemical in your brain. Inject serotonin into everyone's head, job done.

Roger Williams did that in The Metamorphosis of Prime Intellect. A computer which obeys Asimov's laws of robotics essentially becomes a god, and then a ton of people just tell it to put electrodes in their brains and stimulate them constantly.

[Lich Mong]

Happiness is of no value, it's just a chemical in your brain. Inject serotonin into everyone's head, job done.

Robert Nozick's Experience machine?
But, I agree with you. Anyway, hedonism is about happiness; unitarianism is meant to be about "utility." I think I got my wires crossed somewhere.

[MattWood]

Capitalism through allegory.

[weirdguy]

FYI: This problem can be solved by maximizing average happiness where average is actually an exponentially weighted average. Unhappier people get bigger weights.

This is okay until the computer discovers that it can drastically alter the curve by killing everybody on the lower end.

[Charwinger21]

This is why you use median, not mean (or mode either for that matter).

[Sceptic]

This is why you use median, not mean (or mode either for that matter).

No, this is why you use both median and mean.

[JJ]

Now, what will the computer do when Felix dies and happiness crashes? This doesn't seem like a sustainable plan.

[kittenevil]

How would you then avoid the "Repugnant Conclusion" of the mere addition paradox?

Your link has a whole section on that. Take the average instead of the total.