I doubt that. In my utility function as it is now, both eternal torture and ceasing to exist are at negative infinity, but the negative infinity of ceasing to exist is to that of eternal torture as the set of real numbers is to the set of integers.
Of course, that’s all besides the point from my original question.
This “utility function” is just an intellectual construct—I could even call it an ideological construct, the ideology being “I must not die, and I must not believe anything which might make me accept death, under any circumstances”—and has nothing to do with how you would actually choose under such harsh conditions. For that matter, the whole idea of literally never dying is not in any way evidence-based, it is pure existential determination.
I doubt that. In my utility function as it is now, both eternal torture and ceasing to exist are at negative infinity, but the negative infinity of ceasing to exist is to that of eternal torture as the set of real numbers is to the set of integers.
I don’t think that’s meaningful. How’s that work mathematically?
I don’t think doing this with cardinality works. One could however has a system where one did have incomparable levels of utility using the surreal number system. One could for example use this to deal with the torture v. dust specs. However, this seems to lead to essentially smuggling in deontological moral claims into a utilitarian system.
I doubt that. In my utility function as it is now, both eternal torture and ceasing to exist are at negative infinity, but the negative infinity of ceasing to exist is to that of eternal torture as the set of real numbers is to the set of integers.
Of course, that’s all besides the point from my original question.
This “utility function” is just an intellectual construct—I could even call it an ideological construct, the ideology being “I must not die, and I must not believe anything which might make me accept death, under any circumstances”—and has nothing to do with how you would actually choose under such harsh conditions. For that matter, the whole idea of literally never dying is not in any way evidence-based, it is pure existential determination.
You are unusual in having wilfully chosen both Christianity and transhumanist immortalism. I know another transhumanist who converted to Islam, so maybe this combination of traditional religion and secular techno-transcendence has a future sociologically.
I don’t think that’s meaningful. How’s that work mathematically?
I don’t think doing this with cardinality works. One could however has a system where one did have incomparable levels of utility using the surreal number system. One could for example use this to deal with the torture v. dust specs. However, this seems to lead to essentially smuggling in deontological moral claims into a utilitarian system.