Executive summary: Suffering-focused ethics gives foremost priority to reducing suffering, and there are compelling reasons to find such views reasonable, including the unique moral urgency of alleviating severe suffering compared to creating purported goods.
Key points:
There are many types of suffering-focused ethical views, ranging from strong negative utilitarianism to views that include other moral considerations.
Key reasons for prioritizing suffering reduction include the felt awfulness of severe suffering, lack of consent, and moral asymmetry between suffering and positive experiences.
Common misunderstandings about suffering-focused ethics include that it necessarily supports world destruction or is always pro-death.
Objections to suffering-focused views often involve hypothetical scenarios pitting suffering reduction against creating positive value.
Practical priorities from a suffering-focused perspective include reducing existential risks, alleviating animal suffering, and helping the worst-off humans.
Some philosophers argue there is no positive final value, only the absence of suffering, though this is not necessary for suffering-focused ethics.
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Executive summary: Suffering-focused ethics gives foremost priority to reducing suffering, and there are compelling reasons to find such views reasonable, including the unique moral urgency of alleviating severe suffering compared to creating purported goods.
Key points:
There are many types of suffering-focused ethical views, ranging from strong negative utilitarianism to views that include other moral considerations.
Key reasons for prioritizing suffering reduction include the felt awfulness of severe suffering, lack of consent, and moral asymmetry between suffering and positive experiences.
Common misunderstandings about suffering-focused ethics include that it necessarily supports world destruction or is always pro-death.
Objections to suffering-focused views often involve hypothetical scenarios pitting suffering reduction against creating positive value.
Practical priorities from a suffering-focused perspective include reducing existential risks, alleviating animal suffering, and helping the worst-off humans.
Some philosophers argue there is no positive final value, only the absence of suffering, though this is not necessary for suffering-focused ethics.
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.