Personally, I follow the "rule" of:
What you don't want done to yourself, don't do to others.
Would you mind dying right now? Or would you prefer to stay alive?
Sure, one might argue that once you're dead you don't mind anymore, but while being alive, you usually strongly prefer staying that way.
It's that simple.
It certainly is difficult to determine wheter or not something wants to live, but in the case of chickens we can be fairly sure, as they display somewhat intelligent behaviour, and actively avoid harm.
> Would you mind dying right now? Or would you prefer to stay alive?
Sure I'd prefer to stay alive because I'm curious what happens next. But realistically speaking my death is other people's problem not mine.
Dying is easy. It's other people that suffer the consequences.
Although the process of dying, if drawn out, sounds hella unpleasant. I wouldn't want that part.
If we're talking step into the street and get splattered by a runaway 18-wheeler, instant brain death ... fuck it, not my problem.
If we're talking 8 months of ineffectual chemo followed by 10 hours of drawing my last breath ... I'd rather just shoot myself.
If we're talking normal life vs "eat this pill and aging becomes so slow you will be physically and mentally young well into your 90s followed by death of old age at 140" ... yeah I will definitely take that pill.
I'm not sure that really answers your question but there you go. My views on life and death.
Would you mind dying right now? Or would you prefer to stay alive? Sure, one might argue that once you're dead you don't mind anymore, but while being alive, you usually strongly prefer staying that way.
It's that simple.
It certainly is difficult to determine wheter or not something wants to live, but in the case of chickens we can be fairly sure, as they display somewhat intelligent behaviour, and actively avoid harm.