This confused me for a long time too. I ultimately came to the conclusion that “utilitarianism” as that word is usually used by LessWrongers doesn’t have the standard meaning of “an ethical theory that holds some kind of maximization of utils in the world to be the good”, and instead uses it as something largely synonymous with “consequentialism”.
“Consequentialism” is too broad, “utilitarianism” is too narrow, and “VNM rationality” is too clumsy and not generally thought of as a school of ethical thought.
This confused me for a long time too. I ultimately came to the conclusion that “utilitarianism” as that word is usually used by LessWrongers doesn’t have the standard meaning of “an ethical theory that holds some kind of maximization of utils in the world to be the good”, and instead uses it as something largely synonymous with “consequentialism”.
“Consequentialism” is too broad, “utilitarianism” is too narrow, and “VNM rationality” is too clumsy and not generally thought of as a school of ethical thought.
It sounds like certain forms of egoism.
Egoism, perhaps?