Tatjana Višak: Animal versus Human Welfare

Lecture by Tatjana Višak (Mannheim), organized by the Centre for Philosophy, Politics and Economics

The effective altruism community aims at doing the most good with any given amount of resources. Its current priorities are global health and development, farm animal welfare, and reduction of existential risks. The good to be done refers to the promotion of welfare, which, in turn, may comprise (i) improving lives, (ii) saving (or, in some cases, taking) lives, and, perhaps, (ii) creating lives. The necessary prioritization of causes requires comparisons of welfare between individuals of different species. The main philosophical and practical problem in this regard is due to...(continue reading...)