I think we’re saying the same thing. Pleasure undoubtedly has some positive utility (or else we wouldn’t seek it out). But, like you said, you are diverting resources from “more important values”. That was, in a sense, the whole point of Eliezer’s story about the “Superhappys”.
So, by the same token, if we think “nobody should be tortured” is a more important value then “avoiding small amounts of annoyance”, then we should not sacrifice one for the other, not even for very large values of “avoiding annoyances”.
The only difference is that it’s more obvious when we’re talking about positive values (like pleasure) then when you’re talking about negative values (like avoiding someone being tortured).
I think we’re saying the same thing. Pleasure undoubtedly has some positive utility (or else we wouldn’t seek it out). But, like you said, you are diverting resources from “more important values”. That was, in a sense, the whole point of Eliezer’s story about the “Superhappys”.
So, by the same token, if we think “nobody should be tortured” is a more important value then “avoiding small amounts of annoyance”, then we should not sacrifice one for the other, not even for very large values of “avoiding annoyances”.
The only difference is that it’s more obvious when we’re talking about positive values (like pleasure) then when you’re talking about negative values (like avoiding someone being tortured).