Hacker News Reader

Comment by voxl | Hacker News Reader

Why is reducing suffering ethical? When you squash a bug does it suffer? Most lie and say it doesn't, because the exact chemical signals aren't there, but if you could ask the bug it would not want to be crushed.

What about plants? Do they enjoy being uprooted and eaten? Well, there is no chemical process that we call "suffering" so it must be okay. But, these mammals you see, they're so close to us! And we don't like it when humans suffer. Even worse, most people hate when something cute suffers, even more so then a human.

There is no real greater ethical meaning here, just arbitrary lines drawn in the sand by people with strong feelings one way or the other. And yes, the same goes for the suffering of us humans.

View on HN

> Why is reducing suffering ethical?

Deep question. Seems like it's usually more of a postulate of ethics than a logical conclusion. Treat others as you'd like to be treated, for example.

If you're looking for a scientific answer, it's probably that empathy makes you suffer when you see it in others. And empathy is instinctive behavior that presumably evolved for the good of the species. Though evolution might be "selfish" in its own way, preferring to protect some species which are useful to us in other ways while eating others.

Is there evidence that plants feel pain or that bugs do not? I don't know of any, but I would definitively be interested as that could change my view. I want to go wherever the evidence leads, even if it's uncomfortable.

In either case, if plants did feel pain, would a person cause more suffering by eating plants or by eating animals that eat plants?

Empirically, we know that animals/insects feel pain. The same cannot be said for plants at this time. Therefore we can act on the information we have and not what we might speculate on, until such time as evidence provides a definitive answer.

If at some time in the future it can be proven that plants feel pain, then it will depend upon their level of pain as they do not have a central nervous system nor brain as animals/insects.

Everyone will have to decide for themselves what course of action to follow, as we do need to consume food in order to survive.

Star Trek replicators would solve all these philosophical quandaries.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com