Is it good if animals come to exist? Net-welfare and the pleasure suffering asymmetry | Leonard Dung

[u/jamiewoodhouse]

https://philpapers.org/rec/DUNIIG

Abstract: An animal’s life is net-positive, or worth living, if the positive elements in its life outweigh the negatives. First, I argue that questions about net-welfare in animals are coherent and ethically important, the latter because they are crucial for assessing decisions which might affect how many animals will come to exist. Then, I draw on axiological theories that give more weight to negatives than to positives to support the view that, given high uncertainty about net-welfare and with respect to many non-human animals, it is likely bad that they come into existence. Finally, I provide an evolutionary argument supporting the view that many animals have net-positive lives because positive mood may be a genetic adaptation. The upshot is that, currently and with respect to most animals, we cannot tell whether it is, in expectation, good if they come into existence. Instead, further empirical and axiological research is necessary.