Since others have discussed the implications, I want to push a bit on the assumptions.
I worry that non-linear axiologies[1] end up endorsing egoism, helping only those whose moral patienthood you are most confident in or otherwise prioritizing them far too much over those of less certain moral patienthood. See Oesterheld, 2017 and Tarsney, 2023.
(I also think average utilitarianism in particular is pretty bad, because it would imply that if the average welfare is negative (even torturous), adding bad lives can be good, as long as they’re even slightly less bad than average.)
Maybe you can get around this with non-aggregative or partially aggregative views. EDIT: Or, if you’re worried about fanaticism, difference-making views.
I also think average utilitarianism doesn’t seem very plausible. I was just using it as an example of a non-linear theory (though as Will notes if any individual is linear in resources so is the world as a whole, just with a smaller derivative).
Since others have discussed the implications, I want to push a bit on the assumptions.
I worry that non-linear axiologies[1] end up endorsing egoism, helping only those whose moral patienthood you are most confident in or otherwise prioritizing them far too much over those of less certain moral patienthood. See Oesterheld, 2017 and Tarsney, 2023.
(I also think average utilitarianism in particular is pretty bad, because it would imply that if the average welfare is negative (even torturous), adding bad lives can be good, as long as they’re even slightly less bad than average.)
Maybe you can get around this with non-aggregative or partially aggregative views. EDIT: Or, if you’re worried about fanaticism, difference-making views.
Assuming completeness, transitivity and the independence of irrelevant alternatives and each marginal moral patient matters less.
I also think average utilitarianism doesn’t seem very plausible. I was just using it as an example of a non-linear theory (though as Will notes if any individual is linear in resources so is the world as a whole, just with a smaller derivative).