I’m aware that by prioritising how to use limited resources, we’re making decisions about people’s lives. But there’s a difference between saying “we want to save everyone, but can’t” and saying “This group should actually not be saved, because their lives are so bad”.
Curiously, I note that people are quite ready to accept that, when it comes to factory farming, those animals would lead bad lives, so it is better that they never exist.
I actually agree! But I don’t think it’s the same thing. I don’t want to kill existing animals; I want to not intentionally create new ones for factory farms. Continued existence is better than death if you already exist. Creating someone just to suffer is a different matter. This isn’t symmetric (and as a mathematician, I note that that means it can’t be described by just giving some “local” numerical rating to each state of being and comparing them).
I’m aware that by prioritising how to use limited resources, we’re making decisions about people’s lives. But there’s a difference between saying “we want to save everyone, but can’t” and saying “This group should actually not be saved, because their lives are so bad”.
I actually agree! But I don’t think it’s the same thing. I don’t want to kill existing animals; I want to not intentionally create new ones for factory farms. Continued existence is better than death if you already exist. Creating someone just to suffer is a different matter. This isn’t symmetric (and as a mathematician, I note that that means it can’t be described by just giving some “local” numerical rating to each state of being and comparing them).