Modern cosmology teaches that the Universe/s might well contain an infinite number of planets.
Therefore an infinite number of happy and sad people
contains an infinite amount of positive value and an infinite amount of negative value. You can affect only a finite amount of good or bad. In standard cardinal arithmetic, an infinite quantity is unchanged by the addition or subtraction of any finite quantity.
Aggregative consequentialist theories (if I do a good act on aggregate it will do good) are threatened by infinitarian paralysis - if there is an infinity out there and my act of good can make no differance, you can't add to an infinity.
Therefore an infinite number of happy and sad people
contains an infinite amount of positive value and an infinite amount of negative value. You can affect only a finite amount of good or bad. In standard cardinal arithmetic, an infinite quantity is unchanged by the addition or subtraction of any finite quantity.
Aggregative consequentialist theories (if I do a good act on aggregate it will do good) are threatened by infinitarian paralysis - if there is an infinity out there and my act of good can make no differance, you can't add to an infinity.
No comments:
Post a Comment