Anon: do you suggest that others follow your policy as well? Then when many people have individual made isolated choices like that, far fewer lives will have been saved. And in the whole history of the world, choices like that must have been made many times. Why does it matter whether it is you who are repeating the choice or other people?
The question about whether the 500 are that last people in the world is adding other utilities into the issue, such as preserving the human race, and so on. In that case you have a different comparison; naturally, you may have to consider other factors besides the utility of the lives. But as long as you consider only the lives, Eliezer is right.
Anon: do you suggest that others follow your policy as well? Then when many people have individual made isolated choices like that, far fewer lives will have been saved. And in the whole history of the world, choices like that must have been made many times. Why does it matter whether it is you who are repeating the choice or other people?
The question about whether the 500 are that last people in the world is adding other utilities into the issue, such as preserving the human race, and so on. In that case you have a different comparison; naturally, you may have to consider other factors besides the utility of the lives. But as long as you consider only the lives, Eliezer is right.