Hacker News Reader

Completely disagree with your portrayal of consequentialism. Freedom absolutely provides utility, and allowing the government to disappear people who disagree with it is in no way a path to maximizing utility.

View on HN

I don't think you're down in the weeds enough. China does have freedom to a degree. Obviously there's lots of ways where they have zero freedom also. But it certainly looks like the CCP is attempting to maximize freedom where it provides utility and minimize it where it hurts their goals or prosperity.

I vehemently disagree with that stance, but I do want acknowledge the CCP's actual stance.

Disappearing people who accuse the government/government officials of wrongdoing will never maximize utility.

I think you will disappear if you offend anyone too powerful, even in first worlds/democratic countries.

I think that is a weak argument and difficult or impossible to prove.

The better argument is against utilitarianism itself. Humans deserve some rights even if it means less utility.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com