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Gang Rape and the Greater Good

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DanielMuff Posted: Mon, Nov 16 2009 6:14 PM

If the argument that actions must be for the benefit of the greater good is to be accepted as valid, then why not legalize gang rape? After all, dozens of people would benefit at the expense of one, and would be extrapolated as benefiting millions at the expense a few.

To paraphrase Marc Faber: We're all doomed, but that doesn't mean that we can't make money in the process.
Rabbi Lapin: "Let's make bricks!"
Stephan Kinsella: "Say you and I both want to make a German chocolate cake."

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indeed; collectivists are silly.

Where there is no property there is no justice; a proposition as certain as any demonstration in Euclid

Fools! not to see that what they madly desire would be a calamity to them as no hands but their own could bring

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this is why I like direct democracy - I see pretty girls and just can't help myself!

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Sieben replied on Mon, Nov 16 2009 7:23 PM

Utilitarians have a response ready.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utilitarianism#Human_rights

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Snowflake:

Utilitarians have a response ready.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utilitarianism#Human_rights

Then utilitarians have never engaged in sexual activity. Besides, how exactly would hey sum up the benefits and sufferings?

To paraphrase Marc Faber: We're all doomed, but that doesn't mean that we can't make money in the process.
Rabbi Lapin: "Let's make bricks!"
Stephan Kinsella: "Say you and I both want to make a German chocolate cake."

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Sieben replied on Mon, Nov 16 2009 7:40 PM

Daniel:
Then utilitarians have never engaged in sexual activity. Besides, how exactly would hey sum up the benefits and sufferings?
With felicifitic calculus. haven't you ever read Bentham?  sheesh.

Happiness =

Intensity
Duration
Likelihood of more happiness
some other thing I can't remember cus its some unicorn metric

Multiply them all together to get happiness.

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Sieben replied on Mon, Nov 16 2009 7:48 PM

Actually, to make a somewhat serious point, if utilitarianism were ever implemented in society of libertarians, it would require that everyone abide by the NAP and such since libertarians claim to value non-aggression more than pleasure or welfare.

In this way, utilitarianism "eats" other values. It just kind of says "the greatest good" without specifying what that is. It doesn't rule out that libertarian law might be the greatest good.

Conversely, if there were a society that didn't value individual rights at all, it seems there would be little point in implementing libertarian law.

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Snowflake:

Daniel:
Then utilitarians have never engaged in sexual activity. Besides, how exactly would hey sum up the benefits and sufferings?
With felicifitic calculus. haven't you ever read Bentham?  sheesh.

Happiness =

Intensity
Duration
Likelihood of more happiness
some other thing I can't remember cus its some unicorn metric

Multiply them all together to get happiness.

Where do I enter Keynes' multiplier?

To paraphrase Marc Faber: We're all doomed, but that doesn't mean that we can't make money in the process.
Rabbi Lapin: "Let's make bricks!"
Stephan Kinsella: "Say you and I both want to make a German chocolate cake."

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Sieben replied on Mon, Nov 16 2009 8:02 PM

The keynes multiplier is however many government programs you can set up in america before the market becomes saturated with toxic investments.

In the rape scenario "government programs" becomes "men", "america" means "fifteen year old girl", and "saturated" means something very graphic.

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Snowflake:

The keynes multiplier is however many government programs you can set up in america before the market becomes saturated with toxic investments.

In the rape scenario "government programs" becomes "men", "america" means "fifteen year old girl", and "saturated" means something very graphic.

I'm sure demand would be very inelastic.

To paraphrase Marc Faber: We're all doomed, but that doesn't mean that we can't make money in the process.
Rabbi Lapin: "Let's make bricks!"
Stephan Kinsella: "Say you and I both want to make a German chocolate cake."

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We may need some stimulus to increase that demand inelasticity in case it is unable to get up on its own.

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I. Ryan replied on Mon, Nov 16 2009 9:03 PM

Daniel:

If the argument that actions must be for the benefit of the greater good is to be accepted as valid, then why not legalize gang rape? After all, dozens of people would benefit at the expense of one, and would be extrapolated as benefiting millions at the expense a few.

I think that you meant to say "If the argument that actions must be for the benefit of the greater good IN THE EXTREMELY SHORT TERM is to be accepted as valid, then why not legalize gang rape? After all, dozens of people would benefit at the expense of one, and would be extrapolated as benefiting millions at the expense a few.". In that case, I concur!

If I wrote it more than a few weeks ago, I probably hate it by now.

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In the long run, we're all dead. :P

To paraphrase Marc Faber: We're all doomed, but that doesn't mean that we can't make money in the process.
Rabbi Lapin: "Let's make bricks!"
Stephan Kinsella: "Say you and I both want to make a German chocolate cake."

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Sieben replied on Mon, Nov 16 2009 9:54 PM

Daniel:
In the long run, we're all dead. :P
So integrate happiness over time

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DanielMuff replied on Mon, Nov 16 2009 10:10 PM

Snowflake:

Daniel:
In the long run, we're all dead. :P
So integrate happiness over time

On a serious note, the utilitarian case is flawed because you cannot make interpersonal comparisons of value. Therefore, that utilitarian defense that was linked to has been refuted.

To paraphrase Marc Faber: We're all doomed, but that doesn't mean that we can't make money in the process.
Rabbi Lapin: "Let's make bricks!"
Stephan Kinsella: "Say you and I both want to make a German chocolate cake."

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DanielMuff replied on Mon, Nov 16 2009 10:10 PM

Snowflake:

Daniel:
In the long run, we're all dead. :P
So integrate happiness over time

On a serious note, the utilitarian case is flawed because you cannot make interpersonal comparisons of value. Therefore, that utilitarian defense that was linked to has been refuted.

To paraphrase Marc Faber: We're all doomed, but that doesn't mean that we can't make money in the process.
Rabbi Lapin: "Let's make bricks!"
Stephan Kinsella: "Say you and I both want to make a German chocolate cake."

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Snowflake:

The keynes multiplier is however many government programs you can set up in america before the market becomes saturated with toxic investments.

In the rape scenario "government programs" becomes "men", "america" means "fifteen year old girl", and "saturated" means something very graphic.

Lol! I believe this win belongs to you my good sir!
"Lo! I am weary of my wisdom, like the bee that hath gathered too much honey; I need hands outstretched to take it." -Thus Spake Zarathustra
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Sieben replied on Tue, Nov 17 2009 6:41 AM

Daniel:
On a serious note, the utilitarian case is flawed because you cannot make interpersonal comparisons of value. Therefore, that utilitarian defense that was linked to has been refuted.
Well you can't make *clear* interpersonal comparisons of utility. It seems that human beings have an intuitive feel for this task though...

So I might not know if I should give a choco bar to A or B but I know that if I have a choice between giving a choco bar to A and killing B I should probably choose the former. I think I posted this exact example above.

Also you could use the fact that you can't compare interpersonal utility to justify markets, since each individual can only measure their own utility from such and such an action.

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