If I understand it correctly, one suggestion is equivalent to choosing some X, and re-scaling everyone’s utility function so that X has value 1. Obvious problem is the arbitrary choice of X, and the fact that in some people’s original scale X may have positive, negative, or zero value.
The other suggestion is equivalent to choosing a hypothetical person P with infinite empathy towards all people, and using the utility function of P as absolute utility. I am not sure about this, but seems to me that the result depends on P’s own preferences, and this cannot be fixed because without preferences there could be no empathy.
Thanks for the link, I am very underwhelmed too.
If I understand it correctly, one suggestion is equivalent to choosing some X, and re-scaling everyone’s utility function so that X has value 1. Obvious problem is the arbitrary choice of X, and the fact that in some people’s original scale X may have positive, negative, or zero value.
The other suggestion is equivalent to choosing a hypothetical person P with infinite empathy towards all people, and using the utility function of P as absolute utility. I am not sure about this, but seems to me that the result depends on P’s own preferences, and this cannot be fixed because without preferences there could be no empathy.