Insects are more likely to be copies of each other and thus have less moral value.
There are two city-states, Heteropolis and Homograd, with equal populations, equal average happiness, equal average lifespan, and equal GDP.
Heteropolis is multi-ethnic, ideologically-diverse, and hosts a flourishing artistic community. Homograd’s inhabitants belong to one ethnic group, and are thoroughly indoctrinated into the state ideology from infancy. Pursuits that aren’t materially productive, such as the arts, are regarded as decadent in Homograd, and are therefore virtually nonexistent.
Two questions for you:
Would it be more ethical to nuke Homograd than to nuke Heteropolis?
Imagine a trolley problem, with varying numbers of Homograders and Heteropolites tied to each track. Find a ratio that renders you indifferent as to which path the trolley takes. What is the moral exchange rate between Homograders and Heteropolites?
If in Homograd everyone will be absolute copies of each other, the city will have much less moral value for me.
If in Homograd there will be only two exact copies of two people, and all other people will be different, if would mean for me that its real population is N-1, so I will chose to nuke Homograd.
But! I don’t judge diversity here as aesthetic, but only as a chance that there will be more or less exact copies.
There are two city-states, Heteropolis and Homograd, with equal populations, equal average happiness, equal average lifespan, and equal GDP.
Heteropolis is multi-ethnic, ideologically-diverse, and hosts a flourishing artistic community. Homograd’s inhabitants belong to one ethnic group, and are thoroughly indoctrinated into the state ideology from infancy. Pursuits that aren’t materially productive, such as the arts, are regarded as decadent in Homograd, and are therefore virtually nonexistent.
Two questions for you:
Would it be more ethical to nuke Homograd than to nuke Heteropolis?
Imagine a trolley problem, with varying numbers of Homograders and Heteropolites tied to each track. Find a ratio that renders you indifferent as to which path the trolley takes. What is the moral exchange rate between Homograders and Heteropolites?
If in Homograd everyone will be absolute copies of each other, the city will have much less moral value for me.
If in Homograd there will be only two exact copies of two people, and all other people will be different, if would mean for me that its real population is N-1, so I will chose to nuke Homograd.
But! I don’t judge diversity here as aesthetic, but only as a chance that there will be more or less exact copies.