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What is the Awareness Threshold?

The awareness threshold is a threshold that separates organisms (or typical adult species, for simplicity), defined on not yet decided metrics that are presumably tied to cognitive capability.

Even if the metric(s) upon which the threshold is defined is/are gradual, there can be qualitative differences between entities on each side of the threshold (Einstein's Nobel-prize winning red/blue light electron experiment: the lights differ in wavelength on a gradual scale, but exhibit categorically different properties regarding electrons).

I use the awareness threshold, among other things, to decide which organisms can be morally intentionally killed. This is tied to another of my core beliefs, namely that death is no worse an "existence" (or lack of existence) than life. Death is, at the very least, a neutral "state". However, the awareness threshold does not defend mistreatment of other organisms, regardless of their position relative to the threshold. Suffering, in contrast to death, has a negative influence on existence and should therefore be universally avoided.

One "practical" use of the awareness threshold is that it is the reason I eat meat if I can reasonably assume that the organism from which the meat originates was not heavily mistreated. I have seen both sides of the treatment of farm animals and plan to visit a farm I get meat from to ensure moral consistency. Another use of the awareness threshold is that it is the reason I am pro-abortion. Humans, based on my evaluation of the awareness threshold, only cross the threshold when they are toddlers. If the awareness threshold were my only moral guideline, this would mean that one could morally kill a embryo or human younger than a toddler. However, I am naturally guided by multiple moral principles, and the moral principle to protect human life takes precedence in this case. This leaves only embryos up to about 3-4 months that can morally be killed, since I firmly believe "human life" begins when a measurable level of 'consciousness' arises. Further supporting this view would be too off-topic, but I can say that it is clear to me that we as a society (myself included) base "human life" worth protecting on consciousness, specifically keeping humans that have previously been conscious and are capable of future consciousness alive.

Candidates for metrics constituting the awareness threshold:

07.04.2024Philip Suskin