Consciousness and the Seeds of Discrimination

A society that establishes a hierarchy based on the quality of conscious experiences risks extending that hierarchy to conscious individuals, leading to systematic discrimination. This hierarchy could manifest as a belief that cognitive capabilities directly correlate with a person's worth. As such, individuals with declining cognitive abilities or age-related deterioration may be perceived as less valuable, paralleling the treatment of animals. The establishment of a societal standard for conscious worth could result in open discrimination against the elderly and those with disabilities, as societal norms shift to prioritize cognitive performance and conscious experience over inherent human dignity.