I think the torture-versus-specks dilemma invokes the same wiring. Our snap intuition doesn’t judge okay-ness on a scale, but rather a binary classification of “okay” versus “bad.” Torturing somebody looks bad—its badness rating is “bad.” An infinite number of dust specks doesn’t look bad. It looks “okay.”
I’d be surprised if humans can judge okay-ness on a spectrum, but I think we have a scale which can judge more points than “okay” and “bad.” “Dubious” at least seems to be an existing point in human judgment.
I’d be surprised if humans can judge okay-ness on a spectrum, but I think we have a scale which can judge more points than “okay” and “bad.” “Dubious” at least seems to be an existing point in human judgment.