Executive summary: This emotionally urgent, exploratory blog post argues that extreme suffering—particularly that endured by farmed and wild animals—is unimaginably horrific, staggeringly widespread, and morally paramount, and that recognizing this should dramatically reshape our priorities and motivate donations to highly cost-effective interventions that reduce suffering.
Key points:
Extreme suffering is unimaginably horrific and morally weighty: The author urges readers to vividly imagine unbearable pain (e.g., boiling alive) to appreciate just how horrific such experiences are, and contends that they often eclipse all other moral considerations.
Most animals endure extreme suffering, especially in agriculture: Billions of farmed animals experience prolonged, intense pain akin to torture (e.g., hens enduring hundreds of hours of disabling pain or pigs being gassed or steamed to death), often under practices considered “humane.”
Even insects and small organisms may suffer intensely: Though insect consciousness is uncertain, evolutionary reasons suggest they might feel extreme pain, and their sheer number (~10^18) makes this a high-priority concern.
Suffering dominates most animals’ lives: The author argues that short lives ending in painful deaths (e.g., starvation, being crushed) likely mean most animals—especially invertebrates—have net-negative lives.
Moral seriousness demands action, not just intellectual reflection: The post critiques detached moral reasoning and insists that a genuine reckoning with suffering should provoke urgent, empathetic action.
Concrete recommendations for donations: The author recommends supporting the Shrimp Welfare Project, GiveWell, and two other unspecified causes as cost-effective ways to prevent extreme suffering, offering a subscription incentive for monthly donors.
This comment was auto-generated by the EA Forum Team. Feel free to point out issues with this summary by replying to the comment, and contact us if you have feedback.
Executive summary: This emotionally urgent, exploratory blog post argues that extreme suffering—particularly that endured by farmed and wild animals—is unimaginably horrific, staggeringly widespread, and morally paramount, and that recognizing this should dramatically reshape our priorities and motivate donations to highly cost-effective interventions that reduce suffering.
Key points:
Extreme suffering is unimaginably horrific and morally weighty: The author urges readers to vividly imagine unbearable pain (e.g., boiling alive) to appreciate just how horrific such experiences are, and contends that they often eclipse all other moral considerations.
Most animals endure extreme suffering, especially in agriculture: Billions of farmed animals experience prolonged, intense pain akin to torture (e.g., hens enduring hundreds of hours of disabling pain or pigs being gassed or steamed to death), often under practices considered “humane.”
Even insects and small organisms may suffer intensely: Though insect consciousness is uncertain, evolutionary reasons suggest they might feel extreme pain, and their sheer number (~10^18) makes this a high-priority concern.
Suffering dominates most animals’ lives: The author argues that short lives ending in painful deaths (e.g., starvation, being crushed) likely mean most animals—especially invertebrates—have net-negative lives.
Moral seriousness demands action, not just intellectual reflection: The post critiques detached moral reasoning and insists that a genuine reckoning with suffering should provoke urgent, empathetic action.
Concrete recommendations for donations: The author recommends supporting the Shrimp Welfare Project, GiveWell, and two other unspecified causes as cost-effective ways to prevent extreme suffering, offering a subscription incentive for monthly donors.
This comment was auto-generated by the EA Forum Team. Feel free to point out issues with this summary by replying to the comment, and contact us if you have feedback.