Singer protest

[Bradford DeLong]

>>Brad DeLong wrote:
>>>
>>>  Is Singer self-aware when he is asleep? Is it legitimate by his
>>>  lights to kill him then?
>>
>>No doubt at all that I'm self-aware when I'm asleep, more so in fact
>>than when awake.
>>
>>Yours WDK - WKiernan at concentric.net
>
>The abilities to be self-aware or to take an interest in your future 
>interests are standing, not merely occurrent dispositions. I am able 
>to bench press 150 pounds even though I am not exercising that 
>capability now. It's not like thinking of Paris, which is an 
>occurrent disposition; I am have it now, but didn't have it a minute 
>ago. So, no, Singer's argument is not that dumb.
>
>jks

And the neonate is able to become president, even if he or she does 
not yet have self-awareness. It's not clear to me that the world 
slices itself into nice categories in the way needed for Singer to 
make sense.

Brad DeLong, feeling like a nominalist tonight...