My favourite response to the repugnant conclusion is David Benatar's asymmetry argument. The idea that the absence of suffering in potential beings is good even when there's no one to enjoy that good, whereas the absence of pleasure isn't bad unless there's someone who's deprived of it. So adding more sentient beings whose lives contain any suffering isn't an improvement - so the repugnant conclusion never gets off the ground. It's the same intuition behind why it isn't a tragedy that Mars has no sentient life.
I really like the specific detailed surgical procedures performed without anaesthetic as a way to get a sense for what its like to have these experiences.
Thanks Alfredo, I enjoyed this post.
My favourite response to the repugnant conclusion is David Benatar's asymmetry argument. The idea that the absence of suffering in potential beings is good even when there's no one to enjoy that good, whereas the absence of pleasure isn't bad unless there's someone who's deprived of it. So adding more sentient beings whose lives contain any suffering isn't an improvement - so the repugnant conclusion never gets off the ground. It's the same intuition behind why it isn't a tragedy that Mars has no sentient life.
Excellent post Alfredo. Agree wholeheartedly.
I really like the specific detailed surgical procedures performed without anaesthetic as a way to get a sense for what its like to have these experiences.