If you think animals on average have net-negative lives, the primary value in preventing x-risks might not be ensuring human existence for humans’ sake, but rather ensuring that humans exist into the long-term future to steward animal welfare, to reduce animal suffering, and to move all animals toward having net-positive lives.
This assumes that (future) humans will do more to help animals than to harm them. I think many would dispute that, considering how humans usually treat animals (in the past and now). It is surely possible that future humans would be much more compassionate and act to reduce animal suffering, but it’s far from clear, and it’s also quite possible that there will be something like factory farming on an even larger scale.
I think something to note is that while I think animal welfare over the long term is important, I didn’t really spend much time thinking about possible implications of this conclusion in this piece, as I was mostly focused on the justification. I think that a lot of value could be added if some research went into these kinds of considerations, or alternative implications of a longtermist view of animal welfare.
This assumes that (future) humans will do more to help animals than to harm them. I think many would dispute that, considering how humans usually treat animals (in the past and now). It is surely possible that future humans would be much more compassionate and act to reduce animal suffering, but it’s far from clear, and it’s also quite possible that there will be something like factory farming on an even larger scale.
That’s a good point!
I think something to note is that while I think animal welfare over the long term is important, I didn’t really spend much time thinking about possible implications of this conclusion in this piece, as I was mostly focused on the justification. I think that a lot of value could be added if some research went into these kinds of considerations, or alternative implications of a longtermist view of animal welfare.
Thanks!