From: Metaqualia (metaqualia@mynichi.com)
Date: Sun Jul 04 2004 - 20:18:45 MDT
> So, let's say 2 people see films of people getting tortured. The 1st
> person really enjoys it, the 2nd person gets sick. Are you saying it
> would be good to make adjustments so the 2nd person can enjoy it too?
Ok, just for sake of discussion I am going to actually consider such
scenarios.
The real issue is not with the watchers but with the people who are
tortured! :-)
if the universe was a 10 square meter room and the movie was made with 3d
characters and there was no other element in the equation then of course
making one person enjoy the movie would be ok, or, better than have them
throw up for eternity. In a complex system the real solution is getting rid
of adversarial situations and evolved cruelty so that torture is not
practiced and nobody has to watch the movie.
If there is a particular pleasurable quale for watching people being
tortured (there probably is) then we could choose to explore this territory
with direct brain stimulation ... There is an infinite variety of
pleasurable sensations out there (proven by the fact that you can find at
least one person who likes any arbitrary thing or activity) ... taboo
pleasures which today require creation of a massively unfair qualia balance
(such as torture) can be made available by direct brain stimulation. if
nobody really gets tortured, then I guess it's ok...
though the main goal of qualia morality is getting rid of real torture not
allowing sadists to get their thrill legally.
mq
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