On infinite ethics

Abstract

Infinite ethics - ethical theory that considers infinite worlds - poses fundamental challenges for moral philosophy that cannot be ignored, both theoretically and practically. While contemporary physics suggests our causal influence may be finite, non-zero credences on different physical theories and decision theories mean infinite ethics remains relevant to practical decision-making. The problems of infinite ethics put serious pressure on various ethical principles, including those underlying arguments for longtermism. Common approaches like totalism, averages, hyperreals, expansionism, and simplicity weightings each face significant difficulties when applied to infinite cases. These challenges puncture the dream of a simple, bullet-biting utilitarianism and affect all ethical frameworks. The best current response may be to help humanity reach a wise and technologically mature future with superior theoretical understanding and practical capabilities. However, reflection on infinite ethics suggests that such a future’s ethical priorities could be quite different from naive extrapolations of finite ethical views. The work examines specific impossibility results, explores various proposed solutions and their limitations, and discusses implications for both practical decision-making and theoretical ethics. – AI-generated abstract