Imperceptible Harms and BenefitsM.J. Almeida Springer Science & Business Media, 30/09/2000 - 157 páginas The papers collected here represent the most recent work on a much neglected problem in practical reasoning. It is the problem of imperceptible harms and benefits. It is perhaps better to characterize the problem as a collection of puzzles or paradoxes, since those who deny the existence (or possibility) of imperceptible decrements (or increments) face problems no less perplexing than those who affinn their existence. The puzzles and paradoxes combine very practical and pressing worries about our obligations to relieve starvation, mitigate suffering and conserve resources, with deep metaethical worries about the nature of practical rationality. I use these brief introductory pages to familiarize the reader with the basic set of problems examined in this collection. Most of us think that an action cannot be wrong if its effects are entirely and always imperceptible.· Jonathan Glover's fanciful example of the 100 armed bandits and the 100 Wlarmed tribesman clearly illustrates a deep worry with such moral reasoning. |
Índice
Pooled Beneficence | 1 |
Garrett Cullitys Response to an Imperceptibility Challenge | 25 |
Perceiving Imperceptible Harms With Other Thoughts on Transitivity Cumulative Effects and Consequentalism | 47 |
The Least Subnoticeable Difference | 73 |
Utility Pumps and the Value of Partial Compliance | 93 |
Utilitarianism and Interpersonally Comparable Cardinal Utility Some Implications of Just Perceivable Increments of Happiness | 109 |
Money Pump with Foresight | 121 |
Index | 153 |
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Palavras e frases frequentes
act utilitarian action affairs argue argument assume assumption backward induction best world accessible cardinal utility choice node choiceworthy classical hedonistic utilitarianism collective imperative conclusion consequentialist contribute contributors Cullity Cullity's cycle cyclical preferences decision problem Derek Parfit differences of well-being discussion DomAlts Don(O donation ex nihilo example exploitation form of inference free riding given only alternatives harms and benefits hedonic hedonic tone helping imperceptibilist imperceptible changes imperceptible harms indirectly better Interval orderings intransitivity intuition Jones Jones's McClennen mental Michael Otsuka money pump morally required noticeable differences objection Otsuka outcome pain pairwise preference perceivable increment perceptible decrement perceptible difference perceptibly Philosophy pools for beneficence possible principle Prisoner's Dilemmas Quinn rational Reasons and Persons Repugnant Conclusion route rule utilitarian situation Sobel sub-noticeable differences Suppose Temkin's Theory things feel trade transitivity uniquely wrong utility pumps violate welfare worse than choosing wrong to choose Yew-Kwang Yew-Kwang Ng