In this case it seems that Eliezer is a bit biased toward defending his stated position, despite the fact that it is entirely obvious that his “flat rule” is in fact a leaky generalization.
For example, he keeps mentioning consequences that result from the response of the person attacked or the imitation of others. These consequences will not follow in every case. There will be no such consequences when no one (including the person attacked) will ever find out that one has responded to an argument with violence.
One can easily think of many theoretically possible circumstances (not involving superintelligence) in which one can prevent immense evils and bring about immense goods by responding to an argument with violence, and yet satisfying the condition above, that no one will ever find out.
It is true that such circumstances are not particularly probable, yet they might well be quite recognizable if they actually happened. Thus, there can be no such flat rule of rationality.
In this case it seems that Eliezer is a bit biased toward defending his stated position, despite the fact that it is entirely obvious that his “flat rule” is in fact a leaky generalization.
For example, he keeps mentioning consequences that result from the response of the person attacked or the imitation of others. These consequences will not follow in every case. There will be no such consequences when no one (including the person attacked) will ever find out that one has responded to an argument with violence.
One can easily think of many theoretically possible circumstances (not involving superintelligence) in which one can prevent immense evils and bring about immense goods by responding to an argument with violence, and yet satisfying the condition above, that no one will ever find out.
It is true that such circumstances are not particularly probable, yet they might well be quite recognizable if they actually happened. Thus, there can be no such flat rule of rationality.