An Indexical Account of Lifetime Well-Being

Transformative Ethics. Preprint series vol. 1. Working paper 2026:13

Abstract

I defend a preference-based account of lifetime well-being that is indexical, or dependent on the preference standpoint that is taken. For prudential reasoning and action, the appropriate preference standpoint is the deciding agent’s own set of preferences at the time of choice. I contrast my novel time-relative indexical account with the sophisticated time-neutral account of lifetime well-being defended by Krister Bykvist, and I argue that my account has surprising advantages.