Well, there probably would exist a threshold though right? I feel like maybe a baby is worth less than an adult, but there are probably so many babies until it equals a woman. Same with animals (though the threshold is more of a mathematical nightmare).
Furthermore, I agree overall lifespan != quality of life. However, I’m saying it in the term of I guess “happiness” whatever that is in this context. The baby isn’t very sentient yet but will live a good life if it is allowed to continue living. Although the woman’s life ending is sad, the total amount and aggregation of “happiness” would probably be increased if you saved the baby.
I’m not so sure that the total amount and aggregation of “happiness” would be increased if the baby is saved. It’s probably true that saving the baby would generate more happiness, because they will be happy for more time than the adult would have been. However, I think it’s also true that allowing the adult to perish could result in significantly more suffering due to all the people that have a personal relationship with them. I also think that avoiding suffering is much more important then creating happiness. So, while I’m happy to create happiness, I am hesitant to trade the expected average happiness of a future person for the suffering of all the adult’s friends and relatives.
Well, there probably would exist a threshold though right? I feel like maybe a baby is worth less than an adult, but there are probably so many babies until it equals a woman. Same with animals (though the threshold is more of a mathematical nightmare).
Furthermore, I agree overall lifespan != quality of life. However, I’m saying it in the term of I guess “happiness” whatever that is in this context. The baby isn’t very sentient yet but will live a good life if it is allowed to continue living. Although the woman’s life ending is sad, the total amount and aggregation of “happiness” would probably be increased if you saved the baby.
I’m not so sure that the total amount and aggregation of “happiness” would be increased if the baby is saved.
It’s probably true that saving the baby would generate more happiness, because they will be happy for more time than the adult would have been.
However, I think it’s also true that allowing the adult to perish could result in significantly more suffering due to all the people that have a personal relationship with them.
I also think that avoiding suffering is much more important then creating happiness. So, while I’m happy to create happiness, I am hesitant to trade the expected average happiness of a future person for the suffering of all the adult’s friends and relatives.