by Brandon Sides
Recall the life of O.J. Simpson: a talented young boy grows up to dominate the American professional football scene. But allegations of murder soon ruin his reputation, and he’s sentenced to decades in prison for an unrelated charge. We’ll stipulate that Simpson rots behind bars and dies an unhappy person.
Now reverse such a life and meet J.O. Nospmis, a troublemaker who at first leads a life full of mischief. He shoplifts, lies, and commits various morally blameworthy acts. Soon he’s sentenced to a few decades in juvenile detention and, later, prison. But Nospmis finds God, works out every day, and plays football with his fellow inmates. Upon release he tries out for the National Football League (à la Mark Walhberg in “Invincible”) and is selected to play. Nospmis wins superbowls for his team, earns MVP awards, and later commentates for ESPN until he passes away as a happy person.
Who has lived the better life? Here we’ll stipulate that both lives contain equal amounts of pleasure; their trajectories are simply exact opposites. The former begins well, turns for the worse, and concludes on a low note. The latter begins poorly, changes for the better, and ends with a bang. Does the fact that one life contains an upward trajectory render it better than its opposite?
Some philosophers propose that the trajectory of a life does matter. A few claim that an upward trajectory is intrinsically valuable. Others appeal to the value of a life’s narrative. They might prefer Nospmis’ life because the events of his life culminate in a desirable narrative arc.
I’ll address these views this Friday in the Campus Center. I hope you’ll walk away from the lecture believing that, all else being equal, different trajectories fail to change the value of lives.
