I think I’ve seen some other comments bring it up, but I’ll say it again. I think people who go for the torture are working off a model of linear discomfort addition, in which case the badness of the torture would have to be as bad as 3^^^3 dust particles in the eye to justify taking the dust. However, I’d argue that it’s not linear. Two specs of dust is worse than twice as bad as one spec. 3^^^3 people getting specs in their eyes is unimaginably less bad than one person getting 3^^^3 specs (a ridiculous image considering that’s throwing universes into a dude’s eye). So the spec very well may be less than 1/(3^^^3) as bad as torture.
Even so, I doubt it. So purely utilitarian probably does suggest torture the one guy.
A lot of the comments I see seem to be coming from a belief that I am suggesting we throw out or disregard the US Constitution entirely. I’m not. It is mostly a great document for the structure of the country. I’m just suggesting that it shouldn’t be taken as the infallible word of demigods. I am guessing most of you don’t think of it like that. But I’ve encountered plenty of people who do.