OK, then since most EAs (and philosophers, and the world) think that other things like overall well-being matter it’s misleading to suggest that by valuing saving overall good lives they are failing to achieve a shared goal of negative utilitarianism (which they reject).
I’m confused and your 4 points only make me feel I’m missing something embarrassingly obvious.
Where did I suggest that valuing saving overall good lives means we are failing to achieve a shared goal of negative utilitarianism? In the first paragraph of my post and the part you seem to think is misleading I thought I specifically suggested exactly the opposite.
And yes, negative utilitarianism is a useful ethical theory that nonetheless many EAs and philosophers will indeed reject given particular real-world circumstances. And I wholeheartedly agree. This is a whole different topic though, so I feel like you’re getting at something others think is obvious that I’m clearly missing.
Yes, precisely. Although—there are so many variants of negative utilitarianism that “precisely” is probably a misnomer.
OK, then since most EAs (and philosophers, and the world) think that other things like overall well-being matter it’s misleading to suggest that by valuing saving overall good lives they are failing to achieve a shared goal of negative utilitarianism (which they reject).
I’m confused and your 4 points only make me feel I’m missing something embarrassingly obvious.
Where did I suggest that valuing saving overall good lives means we are failing to achieve a shared goal of negative utilitarianism? In the first paragraph of my post and the part you seem to think is misleading I thought I specifically suggested exactly the opposite.
And yes, negative utilitarianism is a useful ethical theory that nonetheless many EAs and philosophers will indeed reject given particular real-world circumstances. And I wholeheartedly agree. This is a whole different topic though, so I feel like you’re getting at something others think is obvious that I’m clearly missing.