Ethical worth may not be finite, but resources are finite. If we value ants more, then that means we should give more resources to ants, which means that there are less resources to give to humans.
From your comments on how you value reducing ant suffering, I think your framework regarding ants seems to be “don’t harm them, but you don’t need to help them either”. So basically reducing suffering but not maximising happiness.
Utilitarianism says that you should also value the happiness of all beings with subjective experience, and that we should try to make them happier , which leads to the question of how to do this if we value animals. I’m a bit confused, how can you value not intentionally making them suffer, but not also conclude that we should give resources to them to make them happier?
how can you value not intentionally making them suffer, but not also conclude that we should give resources to them to make them happier?
I devote a bit of my limited time to helping ants and other beings as the opportunities arise. Giving limited resources in this way is a win-win; I share the rewards with the ants. In other words, they’re not benefiting at my expense; I am happy for their well-being, and in this way I also benefit from an effort such as placing an ant outdoors. A lack of infinite resources hasn’t been a problem; it just helps my equanimity and patience to mature.
Generally, though, all life on Earth evolved within a common context and it’s mutually beneficial for us all that this environment be unpolluted. The things that I do that benefit the ants also tend to benefit the local plants, bacteria, fungi, reptiles, mammals, etc. -- me included. The ants are content to eat a leaf of a plant I couldn’t digest. I can’t make them happier by feeding them my food or singing to them all day, as far as I can tell. If they’re not suffering, that’s as happy as they can be.
I think the same is true for humans: happiness and living without suffering are the same thing.
Unfortunately, it seems that we all suffer to some degree or another by the time we are born. So while I am in favor of reducing suffering among living beings, I am not in favor of designing new living beings. The best help we can give to hypothetical “future” beings is to care for the actually-living ones and those being born.
Ethical worth may not be finite, but resources are finite. If we value ants more, then that means we should give more resources to ants, which means that there are less resources to give to humans.
From your comments on how you value reducing ant suffering, I think your framework regarding ants seems to be “don’t harm them, but you don’t need to help them either”. So basically reducing suffering but not maximising happiness.
Utilitarianism says that you should also value the happiness of all beings with subjective experience, and that we should try to make them happier , which leads to the question of how to do this if we value animals. I’m a bit confused, how can you value not intentionally making them suffer, but not also conclude that we should give resources to them to make them happier?
Great points and question, much appreciated.
I devote a bit of my limited time to helping ants and other beings as the opportunities arise. Giving limited resources in this way is a win-win; I share the rewards with the ants. In other words, they’re not benefiting at my expense; I am happy for their well-being, and in this way I also benefit from an effort such as placing an ant outdoors. A lack of infinite resources hasn’t been a problem; it just helps my equanimity and patience to mature.
Generally, though, all life on Earth evolved within a common context and it’s mutually beneficial for us all that this environment be unpolluted. The things that I do that benefit the ants also tend to benefit the local plants, bacteria, fungi, reptiles, mammals, etc. -- me included. The ants are content to eat a leaf of a plant I couldn’t digest. I can’t make them happier by feeding them my food or singing to them all day, as far as I can tell. If they’re not suffering, that’s as happy as they can be.
I think the same is true for humans: happiness and living without suffering are the same thing.
Unfortunately, it seems that we all suffer to some degree or another by the time we are born. So while I am in favor of reducing suffering among living beings, I am not in favor of designing new living beings. The best help we can give to hypothetical “future” beings is to care for the actually-living ones and those being born.