You’re right to say that treating actual people that way seems pretty unpleasant. But the examples I gave involved creating new people and animals, not differentially treating existing people and animals in some fashion.
I don’t see refusing to create a new person because of a certain set of priorities as morally equivalent to disrespectfully treating existing persons because of that set of priorities. If you say “I care about you, but I don’t really CARE, you know?” to a person you’ve decided to not create, who are you talking to? Who have you been rude to? Who have you been offensive to? Nobody, that’s who.
I agree with you that we have a duty to treat people with care and respect in real life. That’s precisely why I oppose creating new people in certain circumstances. Because once they’re created there is no turning back, you have to show them that respect and care, and you have to be genuine about it, even if doing so messes up your other priorities. I want to make sure that my duty to others remains compatible with my other priorities. And I don’t see anything wrong with creating slightly less people in order to do so.
Or to put it another way, it seems like I have a switch that, when flipped, makes me go from considering a person in the sort of cynical way you described to considering them a fellow person that I love and care for and respect with all my heart. And what flips that switch from “cynical” to “loving and compassionate” is an affirmative answer to the question “Does this person actually exist, or are they certain to exist in the future?” I don’t see this as a moral failing. Nonexistant people don’t mind if you don’t love or respect them.
You’re right to say that treating actual people that way seems pretty unpleasant. But the examples I gave involved creating new people and animals, not differentially treating existing people and animals in some fashion.
I don’t see refusing to create a new person because of a certain set of priorities as morally equivalent to disrespectfully treating existing persons because of that set of priorities. If you say “I care about you, but I don’t really CARE, you know?” to a person you’ve decided to not create, who are you talking to? Who have you been rude to? Who have you been offensive to? Nobody, that’s who.
I agree with you that we have a duty to treat people with care and respect in real life. That’s precisely why I oppose creating new people in certain circumstances. Because once they’re created there is no turning back, you have to show them that respect and care, and you have to be genuine about it, even if doing so messes up your other priorities. I want to make sure that my duty to others remains compatible with my other priorities. And I don’t see anything wrong with creating slightly less people in order to do so.
Or to put it another way, it seems like I have a switch that, when flipped, makes me go from considering a person in the sort of cynical way you described to considering them a fellow person that I love and care for and respect with all my heart. And what flips that switch from “cynical” to “loving and compassionate” is an affirmative answer to the question “Does this person actually exist, or are they certain to exist in the future?” I don’t see this as a moral failing. Nonexistant people don’t mind if you don’t love or respect them.