Person-Affecting Moralities

Abstract

According to impersonal moralities, welfare is good, period. Therefore, it is good that welfare is realised, whether by the benefiting of individuals who already exist or by the bringing of new (happy) individuals into existence. According to an impersonal morality, then, we can improve an outcome by seeing to it that extra individuals exist and it may even seem that, in certain circumstances, the welfare of such extra beings can outweigh benefits to ourselves. To avoid these implications, many theorists have defended person-affecting moralities that, in various ways, restrict our obligations to possible future people.