Preference utilitarianism as I understand it implies nothing more than using utility to rank universe states. That doesn’t imply anything about what the most efficient use of matter is. As for hedonistic utilitarians, why would any existing mind want to build something like that or grow into something like that? Further, why would something like that be better at seizing resources?
I am using (total) preference utilitarianism to mean: “we should act so as to maximise the number of beings’ preferences that are satisfied anywhere at any time”.
“As for hedonistic utilitarians, why would any existing mind want to build something like that or grow into something like that?”
Because they are not selfish and they are concerned about the welfare of that being in proportion to its ability to have experiences?
“Further, why would something like that be better at seizing resources?”
That’s a weakness, but at some point we have to start switching from maximising resource capture to using those resources to generate good preference satisfaction (or good experiences if you’re a hedonist). At that point a single giant ‘utility monster’ seems most efficient.
Preference utilitarianism as I understand it implies nothing more than using utility to rank universe states. That doesn’t imply anything about what the most efficient use of matter is. As for hedonistic utilitarians, why would any existing mind want to build something like that or grow into something like that? Further, why would something like that be better at seizing resources?
I am using (total) preference utilitarianism to mean: “we should act so as to maximise the number of beings’ preferences that are satisfied anywhere at any time”.
“As for hedonistic utilitarians, why would any existing mind want to build something like that or grow into something like that?”
Because they are not selfish and they are concerned about the welfare of that being in proportion to its ability to have experiences?
“Further, why would something like that be better at seizing resources?”
That’s a weakness, but at some point we have to start switching from maximising resource capture to using those resources to generate good preference satisfaction (or good experiences if you’re a hedonist). At that point a single giant ‘utility monster’ seems most efficient.