Actually, it occurs to me that this can be generalized. We might feel morally worried about a technique for initial epistemic persuasion which can operate equally to convince people of true statements or false statements, which is being used without the person’s knowledge and before they’ve come to an initial decision about the worth of the idea (i.e., it’s not like they already believe it and you’re trying to help them alieve it). This is what some people (not me, please note) termed the Dark Arts.
Instrumental techniques which are useful for accomplishing anything, good or bad, depending on the user’s utility function? Those are fine. Those are great. Nothing Dark about them.
Actually, it occurs to me that this can be generalized. We might feel morally worried about a technique for initial epistemic persuasion which can operate equally to convince people of true statements or false statements, which is being used without the person’s knowledge and before they’ve come to an initial decision about the worth of the idea (i.e., it’s not like they already believe it and you’re trying to help them alieve it). This is what some people (not me, please note) termed the Dark Arts.
Instrumental techniques which are useful for accomplishing anything, good or bad, depending on the user’s utility function? Those are fine. Those are great. Nothing Dark about them.
I think the usual statement of this idea is something like, “Tool X can be used for good or evil.”
Most tools can be. Tools with moral dimensions are rare.