Adding a new layer to your confusion: since most of the lives in question are probably newborns (as most of the mortality is captured by neonatal disorders), and since the time lag between one’s specific donation and its corresponding effects is likely more than 9 months, this means that one’s donation will probably impact the identity of the affected kids. If for some reason (e.g., non-identity problem) one believes that helping existing people is more important than helping future people, then this counts against donating to clean water projects. (I totally disagree with this, ofc)
Interestingly, that point also applies to the effects on animals! Most of the animals who would suffer due to preventing the death of a newborn do not yet exist at the time the newborn was saved. Like you, I totally disagree with this kind of reasoning. Suffering is bad even if the action which led to it happened before the suffering being came into existence.
Adding a new layer to your confusion: since most of the lives in question are probably newborns (as most of the mortality is captured by neonatal disorders), and since the time lag between one’s specific donation and its corresponding effects is likely more than 9 months, this means that one’s donation will probably impact the identity of the affected kids. If for some reason (e.g., non-identity problem) one believes that helping existing people is more important than helping future people, then this counts against donating to clean water projects.
(I totally disagree with this, ofc)
Hi Ramiro,
Interestingly, that point also applies to the effects on animals! Most of the animals who would suffer due to preventing the death of a newborn do not yet exist at the time the newborn was saved. Like you, I totally disagree with this kind of reasoning. Suffering is bad even if the action which led to it happened before the suffering being came into existence.