I try to brush them off gently or blow or push them away, but often kill them reflexively. I guess I sometimes feel mildly disappointed when I kill them.
It might be good for mosquitoes for them to be killed and have their populations reduced (if their lives are net negative overall or on suffering-focused views), but that doesn’t mean the death itself or any potential pain we cause isn’t regrettable. That individual mosquito had her own interests (assuming she was a moral patient at all). But those interests could be outweighed by others.
Should EAs feel bad? I don’t know. I think the main effects of EAs feeling bad will be indirect, through our work and donations, not through the effects on mosquitoes. Maybe getting us to care about mosquitoes will make us more inclined to care about invertebrate welfare more generally, which Open Phil has decided to stop supporting with grants.
I try to brush them off gently or blow or push them away, but often kill them reflexively. I guess I sometimes feel mildly disappointed when I kill them.
It might be good for mosquitoes for them to be killed and have their populations reduced (if their lives are net negative overall or on suffering-focused views), but that doesn’t mean the death itself or any potential pain we cause isn’t regrettable. That individual mosquito had her own interests (assuming she was a moral patient at all). But those interests could be outweighed by others.
Should EAs feel bad? I don’t know. I think the main effects of EAs feeling bad will be indirect, through our work and donations, not through the effects on mosquitoes. Maybe getting us to care about mosquitoes will make us more inclined to care about invertebrate welfare more generally, which Open Phil has decided to stop supporting with grants.