…When I despair.
Social media users have criticised an Oxford academic who controversially claimed that letting meat-eaters die if they were drowning can be ethical because of the suffering they cause to animals.
Dr Michael Plant, a philosopher focusing on happiness, and who eats meat, argued that it can be justifiable to not save people like himself.
Cue outrage. Even in the comments to the DM article we are seeing various angry responses. But if you take the time to read the article and look at what this man is doing, maybe outrage isn’t the correct response.
Other Twitter users questioned how Dr Plant could promote these views given he is not a vegan himself.
He is a philosopher. He is engaging in a thought experiment exploring morality. It’s the sort of thing philosophers do. Nothing more. So calm down and carry on…
Having read some of this self-promoting moron’s ‘thought experiments’ I concur; best to let him drown.
I don’t really have much time for people who insist on arrogantly moralising about other people’s lifestyle choices. Ignoring him would have been much more effective than getting outraged about it. There does seem to be an over supply of outrage these days.
It reminds me of the trolley problem: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trolley_problem which, in its simplest form, asks whether you should save five people’s lives by killing one person.
As you say, it’s a thought experiment, it’s what philosophers, professional and amateur, do.
“a philosopher focusing on happiness” Really sounds like he focusses more on unhappiness.
Supposedly clever and educated people do come out with some truly dumb stuff.
Doesn’t it seem, these days, as if they all focus on that?