Hmm. Do you seriously think that philosophers have been too quick to dismiss such person-affecting views?
If you accept that impacts on the future generally don’t matter because you won’t really be harming anyone, as they wouldn’t have existed if you hadn’t done the act, then you can justify doing some things that I’d imagine pretty much everyone would agree is wrong.
For example, you could justify going around putting millions of landmines underground set to blow up in 200 years time causing immense misery to future people for no other reason than you want to cause their suffering. Provided those people will still live net positive lives overall, your logic says this isn’t a bad thing to do. Do you really think it’s OK to place the mines? Do you think anyone bar a psychopath thinks it’s OK to place the mines?
Of course, as you imply, there are other ways to respond to the non-identity problem. You could resort to an impersonal utilitarianism where you say no, don’t place the mines because it will cause immense suffering and suffering is intrinsically bad. Do you really think this is a weaker response?
Hmm. Do you seriously think that philosophers have been too quick to dismiss such person-affecting views?
If you accept that impacts on the future generally don’t matter because you won’t really be harming anyone, as they wouldn’t have existed if you hadn’t done the act, then you can justify doing some things that I’d imagine pretty much everyone would agree is wrong.
For example, you could justify going around putting millions of landmines underground set to blow up in 200 years time causing immense misery to future people for no other reason than you want to cause their suffering. Provided those people will still live net positive lives overall, your logic says this isn’t a bad thing to do. Do you really think it’s OK to place the mines? Do you think anyone bar a psychopath thinks it’s OK to place the mines?
Of course, as you imply, there are other ways to respond to the non-identity problem. You could resort to an impersonal utilitarianism where you say no, don’t place the mines because it will cause immense suffering and suffering is intrinsically bad. Do you really think this is a weaker response?