Negative consequentialism

Abstract

Negative consequentialism prioritizes the reduction of negative things, especially suffering, due to the belief that bad things hold significantly more moral weight than good things. This ethical framework encompasses both direct and indirect forms, with direct negative consequentialism advocating for actions that minimize negative outcomes. Variations exist within negative consequentialism, including weak and strong versions, as well as those differing in their definitions of “bad,” such as negative hedonism, tranquilism, and antifrustrationism. Furthermore, different approaches exist regarding how to reduce suffering, including negative utilitarianism, prioritizing extreme suffering reduction, negative consequentialist egalitarianism, and negative prioritarianism. Applied to animal ethics, negative consequentialism strongly opposes animal exploitation due to the asymmetry between the trivial benefits to humans and the substantial harms inflicted upon animals. It also extends to reducing wild animal suffering, emphasizing the vast scale of suffering in natural environments. Finally, negative consequentialism highlights the importance of preventing future suffering (s-risks), which could potentially affect vast numbers of sentient beings. – AI-generated abstract.