Note that “parity” value relations allow that one could be indifferent (or perhaps ambivalent) about adding happy lives, while still always preferring that any added life be more happy rather than less so. So one can accept conditional principles like Procreative Beneficence without any commitment to the total view (or any other population-ethical view on which it is good to create happy lives).
Thank you for commenting, Richard! Good to see you. Yes, that is a good point. I think that a move from “we can say nothing” to this attitude would be a step in the right direction. I do agree that accepting PB doesn’t mean you have to accept the total view.
Note that “parity” value relations allow that one could be indifferent (or perhaps ambivalent) about adding happy lives, while still always preferring that any added life be more happy rather than less so. So one can accept conditional principles like Procreative Beneficence without any commitment to the total view (or any other population-ethical view on which it is good to create happy lives).
Thank you for commenting, Richard! Good to see you. Yes, that is a good point. I think that a move from “we can say nothing” to this attitude would be a step in the right direction. I do agree that accepting PB doesn’t mean you have to accept the total view.