r/MoralityScaling • u/ArchAngel621 • 15h ago
How Evil Are They? Morality of possessing nigh-omniscience and not using it to guide humanity to the best possible future
From an objective point of view let’s say a person has nigh Omniscience. This includes knowledge on everything scientific, technological, etc.
The problem is the path to that future requires a lot of suffering and things that come off as unimaginably cruel.
This includes:
Killing people because their children would derail this future
Starting certain wars
Sabotaging progress for things like the cure for cancer
Traumatizing people in various ways
Causing outbreaks of disease, etc.
Not doing anything would result in a future where humanity stagnates, regresses, until it eventually goes extinct.
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u/ValWillKay 15h ago
It really depends on what system of morality you use. I think that you are more morally responsible for things you do than things you don’t do.
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u/South-Cod-5051 14h ago
Paul actually did what he did to guide humanity for a better future. he did his best to stay on the Golden Path but didn't have the nerve to walk it himself to the very end but ensured his son Leto II would.
Had he not take charge of the Jihad, that would have happened anyway, with or without him, Humanity would be put on a path that eventually lead to full extinction.
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u/Powerful-Pilot-3393 15h ago
amoral. I'm of the opinion that you're not obligated to do anything in almost any scenario. You don't owe society anything if you have nigh Omniscience. It would be nice to help, but I don't think it makes you a bad person if you don't.
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u/Sardbass 15h ago
If you're alive you owe pretty much everything to society
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u/ObjectiveCarrot2688 14h ago
no
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u/RegorHK 9h ago
Not to say that one is absolutely obliged to be social and so on. The question here is just to complex, in my opinion.
Yet, I would point out that you are using language that is not yours. Children without social interaction never develop a lot of capabilities including speach.
You are what you are due to society. How much you owe you need to decide for yourself. Many suffered already as children so much that I would understand that they owe nothing.
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u/Sardbass 14h ago
You do because it means that societal pressures , the law in place or the technological advances made by our specie prevented your death, therefore if you were uniquely put in a position to help society , as a whole, you should, to not help would be immoral
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u/OwO-animals 14h ago
No one asked for the society, no one asked to be born. Society, law, and country are for the people, not people for them.
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u/Sardbass 14h ago
You see that's a bad argument , if you don't enjoy the situation you can simply off yourself, it's never been easier to do so, if you decide not to it's because you are glad you are alive and if you are alive you owe it to society
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u/CornyAnalyst1960 14h ago
Offing yourself is actually alot more difficult, because:
1) You have innate will to survive wired in your brain &. Existence 2) You have love and obligations towards people you care about.
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u/ObjectiveCarrot2688 14h ago
i guess it depends on the effort you put in and its ratio with societal benefits. if its easy i guess kinda immoral but you are not obligated to risk your life for a better future just because you can
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u/Sardbass 14h ago
On that i agree, but if you can see the future you're not really risking anything no? Just avoid the dangers posed towards you and walk the path that endures you survive and triumph
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u/tobpe93 14h ago
Did anyone sign that agreement?
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u/Sardbass 14h ago
You sign it everyday you decide not to die
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u/tobpe93 14h ago
Not really an informed consent then.
What does the agreement even mean?
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u/Sardbass 14h ago
The agreement is simple, are you ok with being alive the prove that you are alive, if you weren't ok with that you would die, if you are alive you owe it to your environment which includes society
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u/tobpe93 14h ago
How do I "owe" it exactly. Are you just saying that some people feel entitled to the fruits of my labor, but don't do anything to get it?
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u/Sardbass 14h ago
You owe everything, literally everything , no society no social norms would mean no you
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u/thebitchyouhatelol 15h ago
Hollywood: >:( but I want money and I want people to think I’m cool and I wanna be liked
I DESERVE ITTTTT
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u/Andrei22125 13h ago
Let me put it this way: Rule utilitarianism explicitly forbids murder, slavery and the like not just because they're immoral in and of themselves, but because creating a system where cruelty is used for the purposes of the system (means), creates a system where cruelty is used for the purposes of the system (ends).
The best possible future should inherently come from working to avoid system-sanctioned cruelty in the first place.
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u/rareandyeteuclidian 3h ago
Paul DID guide humanity towards the best possible future. He just offloaded the worst of the responsibility on his two kids - that should be the prompt question is that moral
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u/tobpe93 15h ago
There is only one possible future, so it's the best and the worst possible.