Hey there, It seems you embrace a pretty intense version of consequentialism. Few consequentialists would agree that someone struggling with a chronic disease that renders donation risky/​harmful would still have a duty to donate a kidney. And at least among scholars of utilitarianism, most reject he most straightforward forms of act consequentialism that you seem to have in mind. On straightforward act consequentialism, you are typically inherently failing at what you should do—because there always will be a better way to bring about consequences. Often this will cause quite some psychological distress and undermine our overall goals to do good. All that is to say, I think it’s cool you are thinking so openly about some important choices! It might be useful for you to read some other consequentialist texts that try to square consequentialism with real-life challenges, including of the psychological sort. I think a good starting point is Peter Railton, for example his paper on Consequentialism, Demandingness and Alienation https://​​www.jstor.org/​​stable/​​pdf/​​2265273.pdf?casa_token=Wg-Rr0UWeeAAAAAA:4d-0rBSuoPWANdrEqIC2vC7x5UTJ0dm4SBnz2Yx7LxUvyE9FtaFs_oNl1zG2vCYLZzqvceKabMH4DZZRiR4SlbAfaGVkRbmtCt4ggTK-b0GZHvZgpOv2
Thanks for the response! Also, for context, the chronic disease currently inhibits me from being able to donate a kidney, but I will almost certainly become well again and be able to donate my kidney without fear of the chronic disease ever returning.
Hey there,
It seems you embrace a pretty intense version of consequentialism. Few consequentialists would agree that someone struggling with a chronic disease that renders donation risky/​harmful would still have a duty to donate a kidney. And at least among scholars of utilitarianism, most reject he most straightforward forms of act consequentialism that you seem to have in mind. On straightforward act consequentialism, you are typically inherently failing at what you should do—because there always will be a better way to bring about consequences. Often this will cause quite some psychological distress and undermine our overall goals to do good.
All that is to say, I think it’s cool you are thinking so openly about some important choices! It might be useful for you to read some other consequentialist texts that try to square consequentialism with real-life challenges, including of the psychological sort. I think a good starting point is Peter Railton, for example his paper on Consequentialism, Demandingness and Alienation https://​​www.jstor.org/​​stable/​​pdf/​​2265273.pdf?casa_token=Wg-Rr0UWeeAAAAAA:4d-0rBSuoPWANdrEqIC2vC7x5UTJ0dm4SBnz2Yx7LxUvyE9FtaFs_oNl1zG2vCYLZzqvceKabMH4DZZRiR4SlbAfaGVkRbmtCt4ggTK-b0GZHvZgpOv2
Thanks for the response! Also, for context, the chronic disease currently inhibits me from being able to donate a kidney, but I will almost certainly become well again and be able to donate my kidney without fear of the chronic disease ever returning.