Even if it were just a matter of telling the truth, I don’t think it would be ethically unambiguous. The more general question is whether the value of increasing some person’s net-true-beliefs stat outweighs the corresponding decrease in that person’s ability-to-fit-comfortably-in-theist-society stat. In other words I am questioning WHETHER they would be better off, not which conditional I should thereafter follow.
Yes, if all you care about is whether they would be better off, then it’s merely an empirical question.
Normally that’s the end of the conversation for a philosopher, but I shall go on. Based on nothing, I’d say they’d be better off. They should just find a new atheist society. With blackjack and hookers.
Even if it were just a matter of telling the truth, I don’t think it would be ethically unambiguous. The more general question is whether the value of increasing some person’s net-true-beliefs stat outweighs the corresponding decrease in that person’s ability-to-fit-comfortably-in-theist-society stat. In other words I am questioning WHETHER they would be better off, not which conditional I should thereafter follow.
Yes, if all you care about is whether they would be better off, then it’s merely an empirical question.
Normally that’s the end of the conversation for a philosopher, but I shall go on. Based on nothing, I’d say they’d be better off. They should just find a new atheist society. With blackjack and hookers.
Not quite the advice I was hoping for, but thank you for your honesty.