Natural Harm

February 6th, 2013
morality
A: Life begins at conception. From that point on the embryo is a person and has the same moral status as a child.

B: What do you think of diseases that kill small children?

A: They're horrible and we must eliminate them.

B: The children?

A: The diseases!

B: Sorry! What do you think of embryos that die between conception and birth? [1]

A: Because of abortions?

B: No, because they just die on their own.

A: Natural embryo loss and miscarrages? They're just things that happen. It can be very sad for the parents, but it's not a moral issue like abortion.

B: What about animal suffering?

A: Animal suffering counts just like human suffering, and we should minimize it. Factoring farming is horrible. If you keep a cat you shouldn't let it outside because cats kill birds. Consider giving up meat.

B: What about suffering of animals in nature? [2]

A: Again, that's just something that happens. It's not a moral issue.


Update 2013-02-08: I agree with B.


[1] The Scourge: Moral Implications of Natural Embryo Loss (Toby Ord, 2008)

[2] The Importance of Wild-Animal Suffering (Brian Tomasik, 2009)

Comment via: google plus, facebook, substack

Recent posts on blogs I like:

Ozy at LessOnline!

I will once again be a guest at LessOnline, alongside many other writers whom you no doubt like less than you like me: Scott Alexander, dynomight, Georgia Ray, David Friedman, Nicholas Decker, Jacob Falkovich, Kelsey Piper, Alicorn, Aella, etc.

via Thing of Things March 23, 2026

Daycares and the Brown School

As someone in Somerville I notice that there are quite high prices regarding childcare. The average family in Somerville pays $1,100 to $3,500 for daycare per month, and I want to make the costs more affordable. I have also noticed that housing is quite …

via Lily Wise's Blog Posts March 22, 2026

2025-26 New Year review

This is an annual post reviewing the last year and setting intentions for next year. I look over different life areas (work, health, parenting, effectiveness, etc) and analyze my life tracking data. Highlights include a minimal group house, the usefulness…

via Victoria Krakovna January 19, 2026

more     (via openring)