Agreed that it looks like consequentialists operate (1) solely according to prudence, if I understand properly what you mean by “prudence.”
Agreed that in most cases there’s no conflict.
I infer you believe that in cases where there is a conflict, deontologists do (or at least endorse) the morally right thing, and consequentialists do (oale) the prudent thing. Is that right?
I also infer from other discussions that you consider killing one innocent person to save five innocent people an example of a case with conflict, where the morally right thing to do is to not-kill an innocent person. Is that right?
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(1) Or, as you say, at least endorse operating. I doubt that we actually do, in practice, operate solely according to prudence. Then again, I doubt that anyone operates solely according to the moral principles they endorse.
If I informed you (1) that I would prefer that you choose to kill me rather than allow five other people to die so I could go on living, would that change the morally right thing to do? (Note I’m not asking you what you would do in that situation.)
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(1) I mean convincingly informed you, not just posted a comment about it that you have no particular reason to take seriously. I’m not sure how I could do that, but just for concreteness, suppose I had Elspeth’s power.
(EDIT: Actually, it occurs to me that I could more simply ask: “If I preferred...,” given that I’m asking about your moral intuitions rather than your predicted behavior.)
Yes, if I had that information about your preferences, it would make it OK to kill you for purposes you approved. Your right to not be killed is yours; you don’t have to exercise it if you don’t care to.
Agreed that it looks like consequentialists operate (1) solely according to prudence, if I understand properly what you mean by “prudence.”
Agreed that in most cases there’s no conflict.
I infer you believe that in cases where there is a conflict, deontologists do (or at least endorse) the morally right thing, and consequentialists do (oale) the prudent thing. Is that right?
I also infer from other discussions that you consider killing one innocent person to save five innocent people an example of a case with conflict, where the morally right thing to do is to not-kill an innocent person. Is that right?
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(1) Or, as you say, at least endorse operating. I doubt that we actually do, in practice, operate solely according to prudence. Then again, I doubt that anyone operates solely according to the moral principles they endorse.
Right and right.
OK, cool. Thanks.
If I informed you (1) that I would prefer that you choose to kill me rather than allow five other people to die so I could go on living, would that change the morally right thing to do? (Note I’m not asking you what you would do in that situation.)
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(1) I mean convincingly informed you, not just posted a comment about it that you have no particular reason to take seriously. I’m not sure how I could do that, but just for concreteness, suppose I had Elspeth’s power.
(EDIT: Actually, it occurs to me that I could more simply ask: “If I preferred...,” given that I’m asking about your moral intuitions rather than your predicted behavior.)
Yes, if I had that information about your preferences, it would make it OK to kill you for purposes you approved. Your right to not be killed is yours; you don’t have to exercise it if you don’t care to.