Those of you familiar with Less Wrong may already be familiar with the torture-vs-dust-specks controversy. It asks one to imagine someone going through 50 years of severe pain. Then imagine the smallest possible hurt that still registers as pain (such as a speck in the eye, or a stubbed toe), and imagine a number of humans so inconceivably vast that if they were ALL to experiences that tiny hurt, the total pain would still add up to much, MUCH more than the 50 years of severe pain for one person. The question is raised – which is preferable? Greater total pain spread out, or far less total pain concentrated on one person?
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The road paved with good intentions
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Those of you familiar with Less Wrong may already be familiar with the torture-vs-dust-specks controversy. It asks one to imagine someone going through 50 years of severe pain. Then imagine the smallest possible hurt that still registers as pain (such as a speck in the eye, or a stubbed toe), and imagine a number of humans so inconceivably vast that if they were ALL to experiences that tiny hurt, the total pain would still add up to much, MUCH more than the 50 years of severe pain for one person. The question is raised – which is preferable? Greater total pain spread out, or far less total pain concentrated on one person?