Sunday, 18 April 2021

Just a thought: On negative utilitarianism and the benevolent world-exploder

Classic Utilitarianism tries to maximize overall joy in the world.

Semi-contrary negative utilitarianism aims for minimizing overall suffering.

In its ultimate conclusion negative utilitarianism ends up humanely destroying all (sentient) life in the Universe, because then there is no more suffering and no more potential for anything to suffer.

This concept is called the “benevolent world-exploder” or sometimes just the “red button”.

While a somewhat bleak outlook, some thought had been invested into this idea as this concept is often discussed among antinatalists and EFILists.

One of the areas of interest is, how much suffering is acceptable for the ones dying by the life ending event in the process of ending all suffering once and for all.

In the best case scenario this process is instantaneous.

To put it more scientific, the world-exploder needs to be a bubble expanding with the speed of light and without ever stopping.

Only then it can be assured nobody suffers by this very process, as the ultimate speed limit of perception (and all information) and therefore pain, is ultimately the speed of light.

Meaning nobody could even see the all destroying bubble nor feel any pain or hardship by it.

It would be the most humane way to put life to sleep, as everything would be dead before it could perceive it in any way.