Therefore, it is a straw man argument that NUs don’t value life or positive states, because NUs value them instrumentally, which may translate into substantial practical efforts to protect them (compared even with someone who claims to be terminally motivated by them).
By my understanding, a universe with no conscious experiences is the best possible universe by ANU (though there are other equally good universes as well). Would you agree with that?
If so, that’s a strong reason for me to reject it. I want my ethical theory to say that a universe with positive conscious experiences is strictly better than one with no conscious experiences.
>By my understanding, a universe with no conscious experiences is the best possible universe by ANU (though there are other equally good universes as well). Would you agree with that?
I’d say that a universe with no conscious experiences (of suffering) is the best possible universe by ANU. If there are neutral, tranquil or pleasant consciousnesses that can’t ever possibly suffer (or change to a state of suffering), their existence or non-existence wouldn’t matter and an ANU would say that the universe with them is no better/worse than without them.
That is what you meant/thought by equally good universes as well, right?
By my understanding, a universe with no conscious experiences is the best possible universe by ANU (though there are other equally good universes as well). Would you agree with that?
If so, that’s a strong reason for me to reject it. I want my ethical theory to say that a universe with positive conscious experiences is strictly better than one with no conscious experiences.
>By my understanding, a universe with no conscious experiences is the best possible universe by ANU (though there are other equally good universes as well). Would you agree with that?
I’d say that a universe with no conscious experiences (of suffering) is the best possible universe by ANU. If there are neutral, tranquil or pleasant consciousnesses that can’t ever possibly suffer (or change to a state of suffering), their existence or non-existence wouldn’t matter and an ANU would say that the universe with them is no better/worse than without them.
That is what you meant/thought by equally good universes as well, right?
Yes, that’s correct.