Compelling arguments. I’m updating about how complex this topic is.
I also think that the ‘zero line’ we intuitively use to divided negative experience from positive experience is a little bit arbitrary. In planetary science, the sea level of a planet may vary over time, or the planet might have no seas. Because of this, scientists chose an arbitrary height (‘datum’) and consider that to be the geological zero altitude. I suspect that some disagreements about wild animal suffering might stem from people using different ‘zero altitudes’ for animal suffering. Some people think of animals as happy most of the time and some people think of animals as hungry and stressed most of the time.
I agree. I think that for humans a good approximation for the “zero line” is whether the human in questions wants to live, or wants to kill emself. It’s an interesting question to what extent this criterion is applicable to animals. I think that in some sense it should be applicable, but one might argue that most animals are incapable of understanding the possibility of suicide or how to carry it out.
Compelling arguments. I’m updating about how complex this topic is.
I also think that the ‘zero line’ we intuitively use to divided negative experience from positive experience is a little bit arbitrary. In planetary science, the sea level of a planet may vary over time, or the planet might have no seas. Because of this, scientists chose an arbitrary height (‘datum’) and consider that to be the geological zero altitude. I suspect that some disagreements about wild animal suffering might stem from people using different ‘zero altitudes’ for animal suffering. Some people think of animals as happy most of the time and some people think of animals as hungry and stressed most of the time.
I agree. I think that for humans a good approximation for the “zero line” is whether the human in questions wants to live, or wants to kill emself. It’s an interesting question to what extent this criterion is applicable to animals. I think that in some sense it should be applicable, but one might argue that most animals are incapable of understanding the possibility of suicide or how to carry it out.