2 What do you Value?

A reminder towards empathy and tolerance. Everyone has formed their opinions due to the information given & reflection processes. We are hear to share ours and improve upon them.

Key Points

• Impartiality

• Moral Humility

  • Notice some of the ways that historically society’s ethical views have changed over time

Humility

• Do you agree or disagree that 'Societal Morality' is / was wrong?

  • What are past or present moral failures in regards to moral patienthood i.e., not recognizing the intrinsic moral value of someone?

• Are you open to the possibility of your moral circle being wrong?

  • What would you need to find out, to change your moral circle?

Moral Circle - Whom should we take into account when making decisions?

Criteria for Moral Patienthood - Why should we care about others?

Is there a reason why one might care for a human, a dog and not care for a stone or dust?

• What is your criteria for Moral Patienthood?

  • e.g., Intelligence, Species, Gender, Distance, Personal Connection, Wealth, Capacity for pain, Capacity for Happiness, Moral Goodness, etc.

• Is there only one or multiple criteria?

Moral Patienthood - Whom should we care for?

This question aims to clarify who should we help, if it would cost us nothing. This question aims not to clarify about cost-effectiveness, that is, who should we rather help.

• Humans not yet born

• Evil Humans

• Non-human animals such as mammals, birds, fish, insects

• Plants

• Digital Beings

• Materia such as a stone, a table

• ... ?

Moral Weight - Whom's life to prioritize?

Moral weight assigns different values among moral patients, those within the moral circle.

How do we prioritize between moral patients?

• Exercise

  • Imagine having 1.000.000 to donate. You have the following options:

    • Option 1: Save a human life for every 5.000 = 200 lives

    • Option 2: Save a criminal's life for every 4.900 = 240 lives

    • Option 3: Save a horse for every 50 = 20000 lives

  • Currently, the algorithm of automotive driving is being programmed. The algorithm in the case of an accident needs to decide in which direction to turn. Suppose that for every option, the same number of lives are involved.

    • Option 1: Against the wall or tree -> Driver & passenger die

    • Option 2: Towards elderly person

    • Option 3: Towards the young

    • Option 4: Towards those with most criminal charges

    • Option x: Anything you might want to add

  • Imagine for every 10 meters you walk on grass, 1 insect looses it's life. Do you think walking on grass should be continued?

Moral Progress

• Is there progress regarding the Moral circle?

  • How do you identify moral progress/degradation?

• Some past moral failures regarding moral patienthood are obvious to us know.

  • What methods could one have used to correctly identify who has moral patienthood?

Taking Ideas Seriously

• What do the ideas imply, if taken seriously?

Humility

• How should we act, knowing that there is a possibility that our moral circle could be wrong?

  • Should we use 'better safe than sorry'?

    • e.g., stop eating animal products

    • e.g., Should we stop programming digital beings?

• How much should we invest into research to figure out who has moral patienthood?

• Should we act upon our moral beliefs even-though we are not certain or focus on researching and reaching certainty?

Moral Progress

• What are effective ways to reduce the negativity from discrimination against moral patients?

  • e.g., Factory Farming, Wild-life Suffering

Moral Activism - Towards others & ourselves

• Exercise - Letter to the past

  • Imagine you write a letter to the past in which racism who's common. Suppose the person you are writing to has good-intention but is simply not aware of the wrong-doing.

  • How do we positively approach someone who is not following your moral circle, meaning committing a moral mistake frequently?

    • What attitude should one have towards other's moral circle?

    • What approach/method would you use to change their position?

• How do we positively approach the non-alignment of our own moral circle and actions or the different Moral Circle of others?

  • Example

    • Imagine you consider non-human animals as moral patients and you continues to consume animal products such as meat.

    • Imagine you consider future beings as moral patients and you continue polluting this planet unnecessary, hence increasing the potential negative climate.