Y is presuably varying wth somethjng, or why put it in?.
To make it clear that “should” is just a particular “should_Y.” Or, using the other terminology, “should” is a particular “would_want_Y.”
The basis of subjectivity is having a quesstion that can be valdily answered by reference to a speakers beliefs and desires alone.
I agree with this. If the question was “how do I best satisfy my preferences?” then the answer changes with who the speaker is. But, on the theory, “should” is a rigid designator and refers ONLY to a specific should_X (or would_want_X if you prefer that terminology). So if the question is “what should I do?” That’s the same as asking “what should_X I do?” or equivalently “what would_want_X I do?” The answer is the same no matter who is asking.
The “X” is there because 1) the theory says that “should” just is a particular “should_X,” or equivalently a particular “would_want_X” and 2) there’s some uncertainty about which X belongs there. In EY’s strongest form of the theory, X = Human. A weaker form might say X = nonsociopath human.
Just to be clear, “should_Y” doesn’t have any normativity unless Y happens to be the same as the X in the previous paragraph. “Should_Y” isn’t actually a “should”—this is why I started calling it “would_want_Y” instead.
Something is objectice and not subjective where there are no valud answers based on reference to a subjects beliefs and desires. I don’t think that is the case here.
But it is. Consider the strong form where should = would_want_Human. Suppose an alien race came and modified humans so that their implicit preferences were completely changed. Is should changed? Well, no. “should” refers to a particular preference structure—a particular mathematical object. Changing the preference structure that humans would_want doesn’t change “should” any more than changing the number of eyes a human has changes “2.” Or to put it another way, distinguish between would_want_UnmodifiedHuman and would_want_ModifiedHuman. Then should = would_want_UnmodifiedHuman. “Should” refers to a particular implicit preference structure, a particular mathematical object, instantiated in some agent or group of agents.
If normativity kicks in for any “would...”
Hopefully this is clear now, but it doesn’t, even if I was calling them all “should_Y.”
To make it clear that “should” is just a particular “should_Y.” Or, using the other terminology, “should” is a particular “would_want_Y.”
I agree with this. If the question was “how do I best satisfy my preferences?” then the answer changes with who the speaker is. But, on the theory, “should” is a rigid designator and refers ONLY to a specific should_X (or would_want_X if you prefer that terminology). So if the question is “what should I do?” That’s the same as asking “what should_X I do?” or equivalently “what would_want_X I do?” The answer is the same no matter who is asking.
The “X” is there because 1) the theory says that “should” just is a particular “should_X,” or equivalently a particular “would_want_X” and 2) there’s some uncertainty about which X belongs there. In EY’s strongest form of the theory, X = Human. A weaker form might say X = nonsociopath human.
Just to be clear, “should_Y” doesn’t have any normativity unless Y happens to be the same as the X in the previous paragraph. “Should_Y” isn’t actually a “should”—this is why I started calling it “would_want_Y” instead.
But it is. Consider the strong form where should = would_want_Human. Suppose an alien race came and modified humans so that their implicit preferences were completely changed. Is should changed? Well, no. “should” refers to a particular preference structure—a particular mathematical object. Changing the preference structure that humans would_want doesn’t change “should” any more than changing the number of eyes a human has changes “2.” Or to put it another way, distinguish between would_want_UnmodifiedHuman and would_want_ModifiedHuman. Then should = would_want_UnmodifiedHuman. “Should” refers to a particular implicit preference structure, a particular mathematical object, instantiated in some agent or group of agents.
Hopefully this is clear now, but it doesn’t, even if I was calling them all “should_Y.”