Consciousness Ain ’t All That

AbstractMost philosophers think that phenomenal consciousness underlies, or at any rate makes a large contribution, to moral considerability. This paper argues that many such accounts invoke question-begging arguments. Moreover, they ’re unable to explain apparent differences in moral status across and within different species. In the light of these problems, I argue that we ought to take very seriously a view according to which moral considerability is grounded in functional properties. Phenomenal consciousness may be suffici ent for having a moral value, but it may not be necessary, and it may contribute relatively little to our overall considerability.
Source: Neuroethics - Category: Medical Ethics Source Type: research