Hey, thanks for answering my post. Means a lot, especially since you seem to be more familiar with philosophy than me.
“Total utilitarians care about intrinsic value of outcomes.” - But a) death is painful b) death is the loss of future life c) parents grieve over miscarriages just as people grieve over the loss of a friend.
“Embryos must have an interest in continued existence.” - Hm, but I argue this is a temporary state. Say I give that mother nutrition and I wait 9 months. That embryo now has an interest in continued existence. In a similar vein, suicidal people have no interest in continued existence. But if I give that suicidal person therapy and wait some time, that person now has an interest in continued existence.
It isn’t a temporary state if the embryo dies, though, so this seems to reduce back to a potentiality argument, if we’re using a standard based on sentience for moral status.
A suicidal person may have an interest in continued existence that is contingent on them becoming better off. They may rank outcomes as
status quo < death < happiness.
Hey, thanks for answering my post. Means a lot, especially since you seem to be more familiar with philosophy than me.
“Total utilitarians care about intrinsic value of outcomes.”
- But a) death is painful b) death is the loss of future life c) parents grieve over miscarriages just as people grieve over the loss of a friend.
“Embryos must have an interest in continued existence.”
- Hm, but I argue this is a temporary state. Say I give that mother nutrition and I wait 9 months. That embryo now has an interest in continued existence. In a similar vein, suicidal people have no interest in continued existence. But if I give that suicidal person therapy and wait some time, that person now has an interest in continued existence.
It isn’t a temporary state if the embryo dies, though, so this seems to reduce back to a potentiality argument, if we’re using a standard based on sentience for moral status.
A suicidal person may have an interest in continued existence that is contingent on them becoming better off. They may rank outcomes as status quo < death < happiness.
Relevant:
Where Are the Pro-Life Utilitarians?