Hacker News Reader

I’m reasonably sure that religious fanatics usually have their children’s best interest at heart. Their value function is just different from that of less religious people.

View on HN

Something something a different enough value function is indistinguishable from malice.

More seriously, like the old adage about everyone being the hero of their own story, all parents think they have their children's best interests at heart. There's probably no such thing as universal best interests. Gets at some of the thorny problems - personhood, adulthood, cultural values.

It depends on the person, and it depends on the religion. There are positive and negative values, and a misaligned person may well believe they are doing right but actually causing damage. That is why humility, compassion, and honesty are prerequisites for all successful undertakings.

The difference between a malicious value function and unethical conduct is intent; at least in some systems of ethics. Beyond that I think the discussion shifts to the realm of philosophy papers and becomes unsuited for HN comment boxes.

I mean, sure, from a certain technical point of view you could say "honour killings" are done to "save the soul of the child" and hence come from a place of "in their best interests" but by then the "value function" has gone totally awry.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com