I think the conclusion should instead be that we should take the impact of neartermist interventions on the experiences of future beings very seriously.
It’s not necessary to endorse total utilitarianism or strong longtermism for my comment’s argument to go through. If you see the loves and friendships future people may have as a positive good, even if they may not exist yet, and even if you don’t weigh them as highly as those of people living in the present, then I think you should carefully consider what my comment has to say.
When people feel like they have to choose between a cherished belief and a philosophical argument, their instinct is often to keep the cherished belief and dismiss the philosophical argument. It’s entirely understandable that people do that! It takes strength to listen to one’s beliefs being questioned, and it takes courage to really deeply probe at whether or not one’s cherished belief is actually true. However:
What is true is already so.
Owning up to it doesn’t make it worse.
Not being open about it doesn’t make it go away.
And because it’s true, it is what is there to be interacted with.
Anything untrue isn’t there to be lived.
People can stand what is true,
for they are already enduring it.
Eugene T. Gendlin, Focusing (Bantam Books, 1982).[1]
I think the conclusion should instead be that we should take the impact of neartermist interventions on the experiences of future beings very seriously.
It’s not necessary to endorse total utilitarianism or strong longtermism for my comment’s argument to go through. If you see the loves and friendships future people may have as a positive good, even if they may not exist yet, and even if you don’t weigh them as highly as those of people living in the present, then I think you should carefully consider what my comment has to say.
When people feel like they have to choose between a cherished belief and a philosophical argument, their instinct is often to keep the cherished belief and dismiss the philosophical argument. It’s entirely understandable that people do that! It takes strength to listen to one’s beliefs being questioned, and it takes courage to really deeply probe at whether or not one’s cherished belief is actually true. However:
Eugene T. Gendlin, Focusing (Bantam Books, 1982).[1]
Quoted by Eliezer Yudkowsky in “Avoiding Your Belief’s Real Weak Points”.