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Thursday, November 14, 2013

11/15/2013 The Repugnant Conclusion

by Brandon Sides

     Imagine there exists a world in which a near-infinite number of people scrape by with only muzak and potato chips. These lives are worth living, though only barely so. Such an undesirable world Derek Parfit dubs the Drab Eternity.

     When I compare to you several possible worlds that contain differing amounts of total utility, average utility, and distribution of utility, you'll eventually come to prefer this Drab Eternity over the rest.

     Such an endorsement, the aptly named Repugnant Conclusion, is the topic of my lecture this Friday.

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