/lit/ - Literature

why do so many philosophers use torture as an example of something "obviously" wrong?

From the viewpoint of DNA, pain and suffering are great. It makes total sense that they were selected by evolution. They are means to keep your body away from harm, a thermometer of danger. If you stay alive longer, you have more chances of keeping your DNA going, which is what life does.
From the viewpoint of being a self with a complex consciousness, pain is not good, because when you are in pain, you don't really give a fuck what your DNA was programmed or not to do. It's just unpleasant. The fact there are plenty of ways your brain can feel pain that are not helpful to avoid danger, certainly doesn't help either.

So for instance, here in my picture, we have a natalist tied up, and nature holding a whip. Imagine the natalist says:
- Lol antinatalists are so weak haha good job natural selec-
*WHIP*
- OW hey I was talking that hurts. Anyway antinatalists are really dumb because the meaning of life is just doing nice things and you can always overcom
*WHIP*
- OW FUCK stop that shit. Can you tie me down already? I can't untie myself.
*WHIP*
- WHAT THE FUCK YOU PIECE OF SHIT WHEN I GET DOWN FROM HERE I WILL
*WHIP*
*WHIP*
*WHIP*
- OW FUCK I CAN FEEL MYSELF BLEEDING NOW PLEASE STOP
*WHIP*
*WHIP*
- PLEASE FUCK I WAS WRONG I JUST WANT TO DIE THERE IS SUFFERING THAT IS UNAVOIDABLE BY OUR OWN HANDS I JUST DIDN'T THINK IT WOULD EVER HAPPEN TO ME
*WHIP*
- PLEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAASEEE