Actually, I meant that as a matter of practical ethics, we may be better off in our attempts to do good if we use what you call ‘mental hacks.’
For example, utilitarians have near-universally acknowledged that if we think in terms of heuristics and rules of thumb, we’ll more reliably maximise utility than by trying to use the decision criterion, ‘do what maximises utility.’ See e.g. this page or any of the literature on two-level utilitarianism.
Is there any empirical evidence to back up the claim that following the conventional definition of veganism leads to greater overall harm reduction rather than thinking in more consequential terms ?
Also, unless I am mistaken, the utilitarian argument for rule-of-thumb applies in a context where we are either faced with an inability to determine the right course of action (owing to uncertainties in estimates of potential outcomes, say) or when the decision that emerges from such a calculation runs strongly counter to common sense.
I don’t believe either is the case with the definition of veganism. It is not common-sensical to avoid products with trace elements of animal ingredients for example.
Actually, I meant that as a matter of practical ethics, we may be better off in our attempts to do good if we use what you call ‘mental hacks.’
For example, utilitarians have near-universally acknowledged that if we think in terms of heuristics and rules of thumb, we’ll more reliably maximise utility than by trying to use the decision criterion, ‘do what maximises utility.’ See e.g. this page or any of the literature on two-level utilitarianism.
Is there any empirical evidence to back up the claim that following the conventional definition of veganism leads to greater overall harm reduction rather than thinking in more consequential terms ? Also, unless I am mistaken, the utilitarian argument for rule-of-thumb applies in a context where we are either faced with an inability to determine the right course of action (owing to uncertainties in estimates of potential outcomes, say) or when the decision that emerges from such a calculation runs strongly counter to common sense.
I don’t believe either is the case with the definition of veganism. It is not common-sensical to avoid products with trace elements of animal ingredients for example.