My (unfinished, don’t ask for too much detail) ethical theory is based on rights, which can be waived by the would-be victim of an act that would otherwise be a rights violation. So in principle, if I could poll the 3^^^3 people, I would expect them to waive the right not to experience the dust specks. They aren’t responsible for what I do, but my expectations of their dispositions about my choice inform that choice.
Then the “real-world analogy” point in the post prompts me to ask a fun question: do you consider yourself entitled to rob everyone else for one penny to save one starving African child? Because if someone would have refused to pay up, you “don’t have enough sympathy for such individuals” and take the penny anyway.
Changing the example to one that involves money does wacky things to my intutions, especially since many people live in situations where a penny is not a trivial amount of money (whereas I take it that a dust speck in the eye is pretty much commensurate for everybody), and the fact that there are probably less expensive ways to save lives (so unlike the purely stipulated tradeoff of the dust speck/torture situation, I do not need a penny from everyone to save the starving child).
Thanks! It seems my question wasn’t very relevant to the original dilemma. I vaguely recall arguing with you about your ethical theory some months ago, so let’s not go there; but when you eventually finish that stuff, please post it here so we can all take a stab.
In the least convenient possible world: I take it that in this case, that world is the one where wealth is distributed equally enough that one penny means the same amount to everybody, and every cheaper opportunity to save a life has already been taken advantage of.
Why would a world that looked like that have a starving African child? If we all have X dollars, so a penny is worth the same to everyone, then doesn’t the starving African child also have X dollars? If he does, and X dollars won’t buy him dinner, then there just must not be any food in his region (because it doesn’t make any sense for people to sell food at a price that literally no one can afford, and everybody only has X dollars) - so X dollars plus (population x 1¢) probably wouldn’t help him either.
Perhaps you had a different inconvenient possible world in mind; can you describe it for me?
How’s that possible? The question is this: there is, say, a trillion people, each has exactly one cent to give away. If almost every one of them parts with their cent, one life gets saved, otherwise one life is lost. Each of these people can either give up their cent voluntarily, or you, personally, can rob them of that cent (say, you can implement some worldwide policy to do that in bulk). Do you consider it the right choice to rob every one of these people who refuse to pay up?
So you are enabled to choose dust specks based on your prediction that the 3^^^3 people will waive their rights. However, you “don’t have sympathy” for anyone who actually doesn’t. Therefore, you are willing to violate the rights of anyone who does not comply with your predicted ethical conclusion. What, then, if all 3^^^3 people refuse to waive their rights? Then you aren’t just putting a dust speck into the eyes of 3^^^3 people, you’re also violating their rights by your own admission. Doesn’t that imply a further compounding of disutility?
I don’t see how your ethical theory can possibly function if those who refuse to waive their rights have them stripped away as a consequence.
My (unfinished, don’t ask for too much detail) ethical theory is based on rights, which can be waived by the would-be victim of an act that would otherwise be a rights violation. So in principle, if I could poll the 3^^^3 people, I would expect them to waive the right not to experience the dust specks. They aren’t responsible for what I do, but my expectations of their dispositions about my choice inform that choice.
Then the “real-world analogy” point in the post prompts me to ask a fun question: do you consider yourself entitled to rob everyone else for one penny to save one starving African child? Because if someone would have refused to pay up, you “don’t have enough sympathy for such individuals” and take the penny anyway.
Changing the example to one that involves money does wacky things to my intutions, especially since many people live in situations where a penny is not a trivial amount of money (whereas I take it that a dust speck in the eye is pretty much commensurate for everybody), and the fact that there are probably less expensive ways to save lives (so unlike the purely stipulated tradeoff of the dust speck/torture situation, I do not need a penny from everyone to save the starving child).
Thanks! It seems my question wasn’t very relevant to the original dilemma. I vaguely recall arguing with you about your ethical theory some months ago, so let’s not go there; but when you eventually finish that stuff, please post it here so we can all take a stab.
You are not placing the question in the least convenient possible world.
In the least convenient possible world: I take it that in this case, that world is the one where wealth is distributed equally enough that one penny means the same amount to everybody, and every cheaper opportunity to save a life has already been taken advantage of.
Why would a world that looked like that have a starving African child? If we all have X dollars, so a penny is worth the same to everyone, then doesn’t the starving African child also have X dollars? If he does, and X dollars won’t buy him dinner, then there just must not be any food in his region (because it doesn’t make any sense for people to sell food at a price that literally no one can afford, and everybody only has X dollars) - so X dollars plus (population x 1¢) probably wouldn’t help him either.
Perhaps you had a different inconvenient possible world in mind; can you describe it for me?
One where the African child really does need that cent.
I’m afraid that isn’t enough detail for me to understand the question you’d like me to answer.
How’s that possible? The question is this: there is, say, a trillion people, each has exactly one cent to give away. If almost every one of them parts with their cent, one life gets saved, otherwise one life is lost. Each of these people can either give up their cent voluntarily, or you, personally, can rob them of that cent (say, you can implement some worldwide policy to do that in bulk). Do you consider it the right choice to rob every one of these people who refuse to pay up?
It sounds like in this possible world, I am a tax collector.
I think it is a suitable use of taxes to save starving people.
So you are enabled to choose dust specks based on your prediction that the 3^^^3 people will waive their rights. However, you “don’t have sympathy” for anyone who actually doesn’t. Therefore, you are willing to violate the rights of anyone who does not comply with your predicted ethical conclusion. What, then, if all 3^^^3 people refuse to waive their rights? Then you aren’t just putting a dust speck into the eyes of 3^^^3 people, you’re also violating their rights by your own admission. Doesn’t that imply a further compounding of disutility?
I don’t see how your ethical theory can possibly function if those who refuse to waive their rights have them stripped away as a consequence.