Although I can understand the intuitiveness of this ordering, I think it should be pondered more deeply. It’s safe to say that no pig experiences no joy and no suffering, and that sad pig experiences lots of suffering. Also it would seem intuitive that a happy pig dying of natural causes experiences lots of joy. From the point of view of the animal: long lived sad pig < short lived sad pig < no pig < long lived happy pig It is weird not to put short lived happy pig were it seems to belong, and I think it has to do with the fact that killing a happy pig carries a lot of negative moral weight. Would you say the same about a pig genetically engineered to die of natural causes when it’s most delicious?
Ooh! I love the point about it being morally heavier to kill and eat a happy animal than a sad one.
I tend to think even relatively sad lives are not absolutely negative—very nearly any life is better than none, and a good life better than a bad one, but it’s going to give some of my fuzzy-vegetarian friends a good question to ponder.
Although I can understand the intuitiveness of this ordering, I think it should be pondered more deeply.
It’s safe to say that no pig experiences no joy and no suffering, and that sad pig experiences lots of suffering. Also it would seem intuitive that a happy pig dying of natural causes experiences lots of joy. From the point of view of the animal:
long lived sad pig < short lived sad pig < no pig < long lived happy pig
It is weird not to put short lived happy pig were it seems to belong, and I think it has to do with the fact that killing a happy pig carries a lot of negative moral weight.
Would you say the same about a pig genetically engineered to die of natural causes when it’s most delicious?
Ooh! I love the point about it being morally heavier to kill and eat a happy animal than a sad one.
I tend to think even relatively sad lives are not absolutely negative—very nearly any life is better than none, and a good life better than a bad one, but it’s going to give some of my fuzzy-vegetarian friends a good question to ponder.