The idea that “society” has rights, or that “society” can be benefited or harmed, independently from the good or harm to any individuals, is one of the most destructive ideas in human history.
Sure, savageorange could have found a telephone book and tried listing everyone individually. But saying ‘society’ seems more efficient. It refers tot he case where many unnamed but clearly existing individuals who need not or can not be named would be harmed.
Yes, that’s the implied assumption, but it’s usually a way to mask the fact that were we to try and find any actual, specific individuals who are concretely benefited or harmed by whatever-it-is, we would have quite the hard time doing so.
Sure, savageorange could have found a telephone book and tried listing everyone individually. But saying ‘society’ seems more efficient. It refers tot he case where many unnamed but clearly existing individuals who need not or can not be named would be harmed.
Yes, that’s the implied assumption, but it’s usually a way to mask the fact that were we to try and find any actual, specific individuals who are concretely benefited or harmed by whatever-it-is, we would have quite the hard time doing so.