David Boree

It's an interesting body of research, but it's fairly solid at this point. Again, I say this as somebody who hunts and raises livestock. I don't think there's any solid reason to disagree with this. You can see there's a basis to a lot of what Thomas is saying, which is that what matters is reducing the overall amount of suffering in the world.

If you're looking at suffering as a mass, if you're just adding up all of the bad things experienced by all of the living things, animal suffering is a lot of the suffering. So if our goal is to reduce suffering, animal welfare is hugely important, right? It's a great place to start. Great. Fine enough. You know, a little bit of a weird way to phrase it, but fine. Hmm. So here's the way.

If you're looking at suffering as a mass, if you're just adding up all of the bad things experienced by all of the living things, animal suffering is a lot of the suffering. So if our goal is to reduce suffering, animal welfare is hugely important, right? It's a great place to start. Great. Fine enough. You know, a little bit of a weird way to phrase it, but fine. Hmm. So here's the way.

If you're looking at suffering as a mass, if you're just adding up all of the bad things experienced by all of the living things, animal suffering is a lot of the suffering. So if our goal is to reduce suffering, animal welfare is hugely important, right? It's a great place to start. Great. Fine enough. You know, a little bit of a weird way to phrase it, but fine. Hmm. So here's the way.

Problem, though. Thomas, like all these guys. spends too much time, none of them can be like, hey, had a good thought. We're done. Setting that thought down. Moving on. So he keeps thinking about shit like this, and it leads him to some very irrational takes. For example, in 2014, Tomasek starts arguing that it might be immoral to kill characters in video games.

Problem, though. Thomas, like all these guys. spends too much time, none of them can be like, hey, had a good thought. We're done. Setting that thought down. Moving on. So he keeps thinking about shit like this, and it leads him to some very irrational takes. For example, in 2014, Tomasek starts arguing that it might be immoral to kill characters in video games.

Problem, though. Thomas, like all these guys. spends too much time, none of them can be like, hey, had a good thought. We're done. Setting that thought down. Moving on. So he keeps thinking about shit like this, and it leads him to some very irrational takes. For example, in 2014, Tomasek starts arguing that it might be immoral to kill characters in video games.

And I'm going to quote from an article in Vox. He argues that while NPCs do not have anywhere near the mental complexity of animals, the difference is one of degree rather than kind, and we should care at least a tiny amount about their suffering, especially as they grow more complex. Man.

And I'm going to quote from an article in Vox. He argues that while NPCs do not have anywhere near the mental complexity of animals, the difference is one of degree rather than kind, and we should care at least a tiny amount about their suffering, especially as they grow more complex. Man.

And I'm going to quote from an article in Vox. He argues that while NPCs do not have anywhere near the mental complexity of animals, the difference is one of degree rather than kind, and we should care at least a tiny amount about their suffering, especially as they grow more complex. Man.

And his argument is that, like, yeah, it doesn't matter, like, individually killing a Goomba or a guy in GTA V, but, like, because they're getting more complicated and able to, like, try to avoid injury and stuff, there's evidence that there's some sort of suffering there. And thus, the sheer mass of NPCs being killed, that might be, like, enough that it's ethically relevant to consider.

And his argument is that, like, yeah, it doesn't matter, like, individually killing a Goomba or a guy in GTA V, but, like, because they're getting more complicated and able to, like, try to avoid injury and stuff, there's evidence that there's some sort of suffering there. And thus, the sheer mass of NPCs being killed, that might be, like, enough that it's ethically relevant to consider.

And his argument is that, like, yeah, it doesn't matter, like, individually killing a Goomba or a guy in GTA V, but, like, because they're getting more complicated and able to, like, try to avoid injury and stuff, there's evidence that there's some sort of suffering there. And thus, the sheer mass of NPCs being killed, that might be, like, enough that it's ethically relevant to consider.

That's...

That's...

That's...

I'm sorry, man. No, I'm sorry.

I'm sorry, man. No, I'm sorry.

I'm sorry, man. No, I'm sorry.

If you're telling me we need to be deeply concerned about the welfare of cows that we lock into factory farms, you got me. Absolutely. For sure. If you're telling me I should feel bad about running down a bunch of cops in Grand Theft Auto.