X-Message-Number: 10145
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 1998 16:08:00 -0400
From: Paul Wakfer <>
Subject: Re: CryoNet #10138 What you OUGHT to want
References: <>

> Message #10138
> Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1998 16:05:46 -0400
> From: Brook Norton <>
> Subject: What you OUGHT to want

> The underlying assertion is that **everyone's goal in life should be to
> maximize their happiness** (in some combination of short and long-term
> happiness).  Whether one agrees with this assertion is a whole new
> discussion, but I agree with it and it provides a way to evaluate how good
> another person's life decisions are.  A good decision maximizes happiness.
> A bad decision does not.

While I agree with Brook's analysis here. It should also be pointed out
that the morality (badness or goodness) of any decision can truly be
ascertained only in the context of *omniscience* (of the future as well
as the present). That is why it is both truly impossible and, therefore,
an enormous presumption to state that someone else has made the wrong
decision and "ought" to want something different than what s/he does
want.   

> When people, ignorant of cryonics, believe they are better off dying in old
> age than being frozen, I believe this is the WRONG decision (because I
> believe cryonics has a good chance of success).  It will not lead to as
> much happiness as being frozen would.  They are certainly entitled to their
> opinion that they should not be frozen and I would strongly oppose any
> action to force them to be frozen, but they OUGHT to want to be frozen.
> They OUGHT to do that which leads to their greatest happiness.

However, again, this is only determinable "after the fact" - that
cryonics does work (and not necessarily even then since for his/her
circumstances of deanimation it might not have worked). Since *you*
cannot possibly know all the valuations of the other person, I do not
believe you have any ability to judge what is best for him/her. 

In fact, no matter how much you know of his/her thinking, you still
cannot properly state that it is the *wrong* decision, simply because
YOU ARE NOT HIM/HER.

-- Paul --

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