If A is a better course of action than B, and B is better than C, it seems to follow that A must be a better course of action than C. This is what is known as the axiom of transitivity. Larry Temkin questions the assumption that transitivity is a feature of our moral judgements - his challenge has come to be known as 'Temkin's Paradox'. If he's right, then many assumptions that philosophers and others make about rationality need revising, with far-reaching consequences for practical ethics.
Listen to Larry Temkin on Transitivity
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