Christian tarsney on future bias and a possible solution to moral fanaticism

Abstract

If undergoing a surgery that is guaranteed to be either painless and quick or painful and lengthy but with a known outcome, most individuals would prefer having already endured the pain. While we typically prioritize less pain over more, in this scenario, we opt for tenfold greater pain merely because it lies in the past rather than the future. This “future bias” suggests that we value future experiences more than past experiences. However, philosophers question whether we have valid reasons for this preference and explore implications for altruism and our attitudes towards death. – AI-generated abstract.