Quote:
Originally Posted by Mariana Trench  Not necessarily. However, why does its potential affect how we morally treat it now? You have give no reason for that, at all. At all. If you do not give a reason, it is irrelevant. |
Because it isn't just potential. Potential implies it might now. It is all but guaranteed that it will. That's why.
Thought experiment:
I have to choose between saving two lives, yours or somebody elses (don't ask how this situation arose, because I have no idea
). Now, he is a midlevel executive at a charity, and a reasonably good person. You, at this time, have no family, no friends, and are unemployed with no skills. You too are a reasonably good person. If I had to choose to save one of you however, I would probably have to pick the businessman. If, however, I knew that you would eventually discover the cure for cancer and develop a process for cloning organs to extend human life indefinitely, I would obviously choose to save you. Therefore, future worth matters regardless of present worth.