When animals are created and destroyed solely for a purpose attributed to them by their human overlords
Does this argument apply to humans created or destroyed solely for purposes of evolutionary pressure or environmental accident? I'd argue that nothing happens solely for any purpose.
reduces their utilisable preferences to zero or near zero.
Measured how?
'no pig' > 'happy pig + surprise axe' > 'sad pig + surprise axe'
This seems to be the crux of your position. I don't buy it. Let's leave aside (unless you want to try to define terms) the difference between happy, sad, and more common mixed cases.
Let's focus on the main inequality of nonexistence vs some temporary happiness. Would you say 'no human' > 'happy human + surprise cancer'? I assert that neither human nor pig really frames things in terms of the farmer's or universe's motivations.
'no pig' > 'happy pig + surprise axe' > 'sad pig + surprise axe'
Would this also mean
'no pig' > 'happy pig + surprise predator' > 'sad pig + surprise predator' I don't think nature is generally any better than (some kinds of) farming for prey animals. Should vegans be benefitting from lowering the birth rates among natural animals?
Or for that matter, does it also mean 'no human' > 'happy human + eventual death' > 'sad human + eventual death' Even in nature, all life is alive, and then it dies, almost always in a way it would not choose or enjoy. Does life just suck? Are we bad actors for having children?
If it's worth saying, but not worth its own post (even in Discussion), then it goes here.
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