I’ve noticed that what “EA is” seems to vary depending on the audience and, specifically, why it is that the audience is not already on board. For example, if one’s objection to EA is that one values local lives over non-local lives, or that effects don’t matter (or are trumped by other considerations), then EA is an ethical framework. But many people are on board with the basic ethical precepts but simply don’t act in accordance with them. For those people, EA seems to be a support group for rejecting cognitive dissonance.
I’ve noticed that what “EA is” seems to vary depending on the audience and, specifically, why it is that the audience is not already on board. For example, if one’s objection to EA is that one values local lives over non-local lives, or that effects don’t matter (or are trumped by other considerations), then EA is an ethical framework. But many people are on board with the basic ethical precepts but simply don’t act in accordance with them. For those people, EA seems to be a support group for rejecting cognitive dissonance.