How are “expected consequences” defined? According to whose knowledge?
a hypothetical omniscient observer, who perhaps couldn’t predict the butterfly effects because of quantum physics, but would have sufficient MacGyver skills to fix the trolley and save everyone?
“it is known”, defined by some reference group, for example an average person of the same age and education?
knowledge of the person who did the action?
Notice that the last option creates some perverse incentives. Do not learn too much about possible negative consequences of your actions, otherwise you will be morally required to abstain from all kinds of activities that your less curious friends will be morally allowed to do. Preferably, believe in cosmic karma that will ultimately balance everything, and that will make all your actions morally equivalent.
I was thinking the third bullet, though the question of perverse incentives needs fleshing out, which I briefly alluded to at the end of the post:
“Expected consequences”, for example, leaves under-theorized when you should seek out new, relevant information to improve your forecast about some action’s consequences.
My best guess is that this isn’t actually an issue, because you have a moral duty to seek out that information, as you know a priori that seeking out such info is net-positive in itself.
How are “expected consequences” defined? According to whose knowledge?
a hypothetical omniscient observer, who perhaps couldn’t predict the butterfly effects because of quantum physics, but would have sufficient MacGyver skills to fix the trolley and save everyone?
“it is known”, defined by some reference group, for example an average person of the same age and education?
knowledge of the person who did the action?
Notice that the last option creates some perverse incentives. Do not learn too much about possible negative consequences of your actions, otherwise you will be morally required to abstain from all kinds of activities that your less curious friends will be morally allowed to do. Preferably, believe in cosmic karma that will ultimately balance everything, and that will make all your actions morally equivalent.
I was thinking the third bullet, though the question of perverse incentives needs fleshing out, which I briefly alluded to at the end of the post:
My best guess is that this isn’t actually an issue, because you have a moral duty to seek out that information, as you know a priori that seeking out such info is net-positive in itself.