I appreciate the depth and seriousness with which suffering-focused ethics addresses the profound impact of extreme negative experiences. I’m sympathetic to the idea that such suffering often carries more moral weight than extreme positive experiences. For example, being tortured is not merely “worse” than having a pleasurable experience, but it is disproportionately more severe. The extreme nature of certain sufferings makes it challenging, if not impossible, to identify positive experiences that one would reasonably trade off to endure them.
However, I maintain a classical utilitarian framework, which, while recognizing the disproportionate severity of certain forms of suffering, also acknowledges the significant value of positive experiences. The example involving a toothache and heaven illustrates why positive experiences cannot be dismissed. Ending a state of eternal bliss (or preventing it from ever occurring) simply to avoid a trivial negative experience like a stubbed toe is both absurd and morally troubling. It suggests a kind of ethical myopia that undervalues the richness and depth of joy, love, and fulfillment that life can offer.
Imagine individuals behind a veil of ignorance, choosing between two potential lives: one filled with immense joy but punctuated by occasional bad days, versus a life that is consistently mediocre, without significant pain but also devoid of substantial positive experiences. It seems intuitive that most would choose the former. The prospect of immense joy outweighs the temporary pain that accompanies it, suggesting that the value of positive experiences should not be discounted but rather carefully weighed alongside the potential for suffering.
The sensible approach, in my view, is not to eliminate or devalue the significance of joy and positive experiences, but to acknowledge the depth and intensity of potential suffering. By doing so, we can ensure that our ethical frameworks remain balanced, appropriately weighting the full spectrum of the experiences of conscious beings without overcorrecting in a way that leads to counterintuitive and undesirable outcomes.
In summary, while suffering-focused ethics rightly highlights the importance of alleviating extreme suffering, we must also recognize and value the profound positive experiences that give life its richness and meaning. Both extremes of the human condition (and those of other conscious beings)—intense suffering and intense joy—deserve our moral attention and appropriate weighting in our ethical considerations.
I appreciate the depth and seriousness with which suffering-focused ethics addresses the profound impact of extreme negative experiences. I’m sympathetic to the idea that such suffering often carries more moral weight than extreme positive experiences. For example, being tortured is not merely “worse” than having a pleasurable experience, but it is disproportionately more severe. The extreme nature of certain sufferings makes it challenging, if not impossible, to identify positive experiences that one would reasonably trade off to endure them.
However, I maintain a classical utilitarian framework, which, while recognizing the disproportionate severity of certain forms of suffering, also acknowledges the significant value of positive experiences. The example involving a toothache and heaven illustrates why positive experiences cannot be dismissed. Ending a state of eternal bliss (or preventing it from ever occurring) simply to avoid a trivial negative experience like a stubbed toe is both absurd and morally troubling. It suggests a kind of ethical myopia that undervalues the richness and depth of joy, love, and fulfillment that life can offer.
Imagine individuals behind a veil of ignorance, choosing between two potential lives: one filled with immense joy but punctuated by occasional bad days, versus a life that is consistently mediocre, without significant pain but also devoid of substantial positive experiences. It seems intuitive that most would choose the former. The prospect of immense joy outweighs the temporary pain that accompanies it, suggesting that the value of positive experiences should not be discounted but rather carefully weighed alongside the potential for suffering.
The sensible approach, in my view, is not to eliminate or devalue the significance of joy and positive experiences, but to acknowledge the depth and intensity of potential suffering. By doing so, we can ensure that our ethical frameworks remain balanced, appropriately weighting the full spectrum of the experiences of conscious beings without overcorrecting in a way that leads to counterintuitive and undesirable outcomes.
In summary, while suffering-focused ethics rightly highlights the importance of alleviating extreme suffering, we must also recognize and value the profound positive experiences that give life its richness and meaning. Both extremes of the human condition (and those of other conscious beings)—intense suffering and intense joy—deserve our moral attention and appropriate weighting in our ethical considerations.