Comment by ribnag on 14/01/2020 at 03:37 UTC

-5 upvotes, 3 direct replies (showing 3)

View submission: On population ethics, the development of Derek Parfit's thought, and the origin of Parfit's "repugnant conclusion"

Am I the only one who will admit the *really obvious* solution to this version of utilitarianism?

It's not *really* about maximizing happiness; it's about maximizing **my** happiness. And if that means everyone else gets to benefit, hey, cool.

There's no "repugnant conclusion" required. An infinite number of people who are one red whisker shy of committing suicide don't improve *my* happiness, so it's not actually within the universe of desirable outcomes.

Replies

Comment by Soup-Can-Harry at 14/01/2020 at 04:31 UTC

11 upvotes, 1 direct replies

How would I distinguish between your philosophy as described and unmitigated narcissism?

Comment by kigurumibiblestudies at 14/01/2020 at 08:18 UTC

2 upvotes, 1 direct replies

How is this different from concerns about quality of life?

Comment by [deleted] at 14/01/2020 at 05:45 UTC*

2 upvotes, 1 direct replies

[deleted]