I had this horrible picture of a future where human-utilons-maximizing altruists distribute nets against mosquitoes as the most cost-efficient tool to reduce the human suffering, and the animal-utilons-maximizing altruists sabotage the net production as the most cost-efficient tool to reduce the mosquito suffering...
That’s a worthwhile concern, but I personally wouldn’t make the distinction between animal-utilons and human-utilons. I would just try to maximize utilons for conscious beings in general. Pigs, cows, chicken and other farm animals belong in that category, mosquitoes, insects and jellyfish don’t. That’s also why I think eating insects is on par with vegetarianism because you’re not really hurting any conscious beings.
I had this horrible picture of a future where human-utilons-maximizing altruists distribute nets against mosquitoes as the most cost-efficient tool to reduce the human suffering, and the animal-utilons-maximizing altruists sabotage the net production as the most cost-efficient tool to reduce the mosquito suffering...
That’s a worthwhile concern, but I personally wouldn’t make the distinction between animal-utilons and human-utilons. I would just try to maximize utilons for conscious beings in general. Pigs, cows, chicken and other farm animals belong in that category, mosquitoes, insects and jellyfish don’t. That’s also why I think eating insects is on par with vegetarianism because you’re not really hurting any conscious beings.