Executive summary: The author argues that experiences can vary in “size” in addition to hedonic intensity, and that this size dimension should be incorporated into hedonic theories of welfare and interspecies welfare comparisons.
Key points:
Experiences can vary in “size” (e.g. visual field, bodily sensations), analogous to how populations can vary in size.
Hedonic theories of welfare should consider both intensity and size when aggregating welfare across an experience.
This view implies that creatures with larger experiences (e.g. humans vs insects) may have greater capacity for welfare, even if hedonic intensities are similar.
Considering experience size may resolve some counterintuitive implications of other approaches to interspecies welfare comparisons.
This perspective could impact anthropic reasoning and views on consciousness in different species.
The author acknowledges this is a novel and speculative idea that requires further development and scrutiny.
This comment was auto-generated by the EA Forum Team. Feel free to point out issues with this summary by replying to the comment, andcontact us if you have feedback.
Executive summary: The author argues that experiences can vary in “size” in addition to hedonic intensity, and that this size dimension should be incorporated into hedonic theories of welfare and interspecies welfare comparisons.
Key points:
Experiences can vary in “size” (e.g. visual field, bodily sensations), analogous to how populations can vary in size.
Hedonic theories of welfare should consider both intensity and size when aggregating welfare across an experience.
This view implies that creatures with larger experiences (e.g. humans vs insects) may have greater capacity for welfare, even if hedonic intensities are similar.
Considering experience size may resolve some counterintuitive implications of other approaches to interspecies welfare comparisons.
This perspective could impact anthropic reasoning and views on consciousness in different species.
The author acknowledges this is a novel and speculative idea that requires further development and scrutiny.
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.