Yep, that’s what I said. The further you get from addressing basic human needs problems, the more grey “good” becomes. But its always grey, it just gets more and more grey towards ‘the tails’ as you say. I’m not really a moral realist either.
Another way to state my overall argument is that really the only altruistic thing to do is to make sure everyone has the power to make effectual moral decisions for themselves—the same power you have. This doesn’t exclude addressing basic human needs, btw. It would likely necessitate it.
If you believe in people, which I imagine effective altruists do because what’s the point otherwise, then people with agency that end up matching your level of agency will also end up updating to your moral position anyway, if you’re right.
I should have been more clear I guess: I was talking about the moral imperative of altruists, not a social regulating or political philosophy. But, from the perspective I am arguing here, imbuing that psychopath with agency would negate work to imbue everyone else with agency. I am actually not arguing against utility here, just against determining what is good for others, which only makes sense if you believe that people, as a whole or majority, are good or will choose good—which is sort of a required belief to be an altruist, isn’t it?
Yep, that’s what I said. The further you get from addressing basic human needs problems, the more grey “good” becomes. But its always grey, it just gets more and more grey towards ‘the tails’ as you say. I’m not really a moral realist either.
Another way to state my overall argument is that really the only altruistic thing to do is to make sure everyone has the power to make effectual moral decisions for themselves—the same power you have. This doesn’t exclude addressing basic human needs, btw. It would likely necessitate it.
If you believe in people, which I imagine effective altruists do because what’s the point otherwise, then people with agency that end up matching your level of agency will also end up updating to your moral position anyway, if you’re right.
Not if they inherently care about different things, eg psychopaths who enjoy taking away others’ agency
I should have been more clear I guess: I was talking about the moral imperative of altruists, not a social regulating or political philosophy. But, from the perspective I am arguing here, imbuing that psychopath with agency would negate work to imbue everyone else with agency. I am actually not arguing against utility here, just against determining what is good for others, which only makes sense if you believe that people, as a whole or majority, are good or will choose good—which is sort of a required belief to be an altruist, isn’t it?