Our moral imagination likes vivid, dramatic acts of sacrifice better than slow, structural work.
Even considering this reality, ethical dilemmas arise because we don’t always have time to change the circumstances of the environment (slow, structural work) in which they occur.
However, I venture to suggest that there is a very positive point in your perspective: the observation regarding “drama.” Cultural shifts related to ethics have much to do with the emotional impact of events with moral content. This is the basis, for example, of the historical relevance of the evolution of mythologies.
If we consider moral evolution to be the fundamental factor in the advancement of civilizations (less aggression, more benevolence, more rationality, and more efficient cooperation), when faced with many ethical dilemmas, we must lean toward the capacity to influence moral evolution. A dilemma that predates the trolley problem is that of torture: if I don’t torture the al-Qaeda terrorist, I won’t be able to eliminate Bin Laden, and he will commit mass crimes again. But torture is wrong (moral evolution).
I believe the EA movement is part of a civilizational moral evolution. Therefore, it should always prioritize decisions that promote moral evolution as a long-term goal.
Even considering this reality, ethical dilemmas arise because we don’t always have time to change the circumstances of the environment (slow, structural work) in which they occur.
However, I venture to suggest that there is a very positive point in your perspective: the observation regarding “drama.” Cultural shifts related to ethics have much to do with the emotional impact of events with moral content. This is the basis, for example, of the historical relevance of the evolution of mythologies.
If we consider moral evolution to be the fundamental factor in the advancement of civilizations (less aggression, more benevolence, more rationality, and more efficient cooperation), when faced with many ethical dilemmas, we must lean toward the capacity to influence moral evolution. A dilemma that predates the trolley problem is that of torture: if I don’t torture the al-Qaeda terrorist, I won’t be able to eliminate Bin Laden, and he will commit mass crimes again. But torture is wrong (moral evolution).
I believe the EA movement is part of a civilizational moral evolution. Therefore, it should always prioritize decisions that promote moral evolution as a long-term goal.