Regarding (2), do you think sentience gradually increases, or there’s a cutoff? My own memory is of having very intense joy and pain/sadness as a small child, maybe more than now. So while I put less credence in the sentience of young animals, my assumption is that if sentient they could have intense feelings.
I want to push back (3) (larger animals having ‘great’ lives). I’m not sure if you meant that: but take any pet cat or dog, and then make them hungry, often. Make them cold, make them occasionally very afraid, and give them parasites and untreated injuries. Make them live only 1⁄4 of their full lifespan. Now even if that’s worth living, surely it isn’t a ‘great’ life!
regarding 2 i have no memory before the age of maybe 3 or 4. I’m not sure the analogy with humans is the best, but if we were to use that, then most tiny animals would die before the age of a few month human, not a small child, who i agree can have intense memorable experiences.
good point in the “great” lives claim, I’ve edited to “decent”. again I’m not sure weak pets are the best analogy, they aren’t adapted for the wild. to go back to humans, we used to live with not of the cold, parasites and untreated injuries. I think we would have had decent lives while still suffering those problems. A lot worse lives sure, but decent all the same.
Regarding (2), do you think sentience gradually increases, or there’s a cutoff? My own memory is of having very intense joy and pain/sadness as a small child, maybe more than now. So while I put less credence in the sentience of young animals, my assumption is that if sentient they could have intense feelings.
I want to push back (3) (larger animals having ‘great’ lives). I’m not sure if you meant that: but take any pet cat or dog, and then make them hungry, often. Make them cold, make them occasionally very afraid, and give them parasites and untreated injuries. Make them live only 1⁄4 of their full lifespan. Now even if that’s worth living, surely it isn’t a ‘great’ life!
I’m deeply unsure about all of this.
regarding 2 i have no memory before the age of maybe 3 or 4. I’m not sure the analogy with humans is the best, but if we were to use that, then most tiny animals would die before the age of a few month human, not a small child, who i agree can have intense memorable experiences.
good point in the “great” lives claim, I’ve edited to “decent”. again I’m not sure weak pets are the best analogy, they aren’t adapted for the wild. to go back to humans, we used to live with not of the cold, parasites and untreated injuries. I think we would have had decent lives while still suffering those problems. A lot worse lives sure, but decent all the same.