The OP itself is confusing, but I agree that EA is very focused on a narrow interpretation of utilitarianism. I used to think that EA should change this, but then I realized that I was fighting a losing battle. There’s nothing inherently valuable about the name “effective altruism”. It’s whatever people define it to be. When I stopped thinking of myself as part of this community, it was a great weight off my shoulders.
The thing that rubs me the wrong way is that it feels like a motte-bailey. “Effective altruism” is vague and appears self-evidently good, but in reality EAs are pushing for a very specific agenda and have very specific values. It would be better if they were more up-front about this.
Yeah it’s confusing because the general description is very vague: do the most good in the world. EAs are often reluctant to be more specific than that. But in practice EAs tend to make arguments from a utilitarian perspective, and the cause areas have been well-defined for a long time: GiveWell recommended charities (typically global health), existential risk (particularly AI), factory farming, and self-improvement (e.g. CFAR). There’s nothing terribly wrong with these causes, but I’ve become interested in violence and poor governance in the developing world. EA just doesn’t have much to offer there.
EA is an evolving movement, but the reasons for prioritizing violence and poor governance in the developing world seem weak. It’s certainly altruistic and the amount of suffering it addresses is enormous. However, the world is in such a sad state of affairs, that I don’t think such a complex and unexplored will compete with charities addressing basic needs like alleviating poverty or even OpenPhil’s current agenda of prison reform and factory farm suffering. That said, you could start the exploring. Isn’t that how the other causes became mainstream within the EA movement?
I’d be happy if the EA movement became interested in this, just as I’d be happy if the Democratic Party did. But my point was, the label EA means nothing to me. I follow my own views, and it doesn’t matter to me what this community thinks of it. Just as you’re free to follow your own views, regardless of EA.
I’ve struggled with similar concerns. I think the things EA’s push for are great, but I do think that we are more ideologically homogeneous than we should ideally be. My hope is that as more people join, it will become more “big tent” and useful to a wider range of people. (Some of it is already useful for a wide range of people, like the career advice.)
Interesting, though you seem a tad pessimistic in the last paragraph. If EAs claim they are motivated by altruism and reason, wouldn’t defining EA based on that criteria, theoretically encourage participants to change or leave the movement?
The OP itself is confusing, but I agree that EA is very focused on a narrow interpretation of utilitarianism. I used to think that EA should change this, but then I realized that I was fighting a losing battle. There’s nothing inherently valuable about the name “effective altruism”. It’s whatever people define it to be. When I stopped thinking of myself as part of this community, it was a great weight off my shoulders.
The thing that rubs me the wrong way is that it feels like a motte-bailey. “Effective altruism” is vague and appears self-evidently good, but in reality EAs are pushing for a very specific agenda and have very specific values. It would be better if they were more up-front about this.
Uh, what? Since when?
Yeah it’s confusing because the general description is very vague: do the most good in the world. EAs are often reluctant to be more specific than that. But in practice EAs tend to make arguments from a utilitarian perspective, and the cause areas have been well-defined for a long time: GiveWell recommended charities (typically global health), existential risk (particularly AI), factory farming, and self-improvement (e.g. CFAR). There’s nothing terribly wrong with these causes, but I’ve become interested in violence and poor governance in the developing world. EA just doesn’t have much to offer there.
EA is an evolving movement, but the reasons for prioritizing violence and poor governance in the developing world seem weak. It’s certainly altruistic and the amount of suffering it addresses is enormous. However, the world is in such a sad state of affairs, that I don’t think such a complex and unexplored will compete with charities addressing basic needs like alleviating poverty or even OpenPhil’s current agenda of prison reform and factory farm suffering. That said, you could start the exploring. Isn’t that how the other causes became mainstream within the EA movement?
I’d be happy if the EA movement became interested in this, just as I’d be happy if the Democratic Party did. But my point was, the label EA means nothing to me. I follow my own views, and it doesn’t matter to me what this community thinks of it. Just as you’re free to follow your own views, regardless of EA.
I’ve struggled with similar concerns. I think the things EA’s push for are great, but I do think that we are more ideologically homogeneous than we should ideally be. My hope is that as more people join, it will become more “big tent” and useful to a wider range of people. (Some of it is already useful for a wide range of people, like the career advice.)
Interesting, though you seem a tad pessimistic in the last paragraph. If EAs claim they are motivated by altruism and reason, wouldn’t defining EA based on that criteria, theoretically encourage participants to change or leave the movement?