Abstract

In addition to the immediate and delayed fatalities and ailments following the Chernobyl explosion and the Bhopal toxic leak, numerous persons suffered allegedly imperceptible, painless, but slightly harmful effects. One question this raises is whether one ought to ignore acts causing allegedly imperceptible, but slightly harmful, effects on large numbers of persons. In Reasons and Persons (Mistakes in Moral Mathematics, pp. 6786), Parfit argues, correctly I think, that one ought not follow commonsense morality and ignore acts causing such imperceptible effects on large numbers of persons.' Although his conclusion is correct, Parfit's three main arguments (used to justify his account of imperceptible effects) are highly questionable. I call these the Mistaken Pain Defense, the Total Effect Defense, and the Simplicity Defense:

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