Thoughts on Ord’s “Why I’m not a negative utilitarian”

Abstract

This document is a philosophical critique of Toby Ord’s essay “Why I’m Not a Negative Utilitarian”. The author, Simon Knutsson, argues that Ord’s critique of Negative Utilitarianism (NU) is inaccurate and uncharitable. He points out that Ord’s claims about the purported lack of support for NU among philosophers are unfounded, as he cites several philosophers who have defended NU or closely related positions. Knutsson also challenges Ord’s “world destruction” argument against NU, suggesting it is equally applicable to traditional utilitarianism and that there are existing solutions to this type of objection. He examines Ord’s arguments against different versions of NU, including Lexical Threshold NU, Weak NU, and Absolute NU, finding flaws in Ord’s reasoning. Knutsson further discusses the implications of NU for practical issues like healthcare policy and the morality of death, finding Ord’s claims dubious and ultimately unpersuasive. Overall, he argues that Ord’s essay fails to make a convincing case against NU, as it relies on inaccurate premises, mischaracterizes the positions of NU advocates, and overlooks existing replies to these common objections. – AI-generated abstract