I guess it depends on how narrowly you define EA. I think of evaluating states of pleasure/suffering, affective forecasting, and decision-making as common EA topics. My argument is related to a hedonistic utilitarian argument against preference utilitarianism, but I don’t often hear people taking on shortcomings of the remembering self the way they do preferences. Usually the remembering self is held out as a superior perspective on life because it’s out of the moment, when I argue it’s just as selfish as the experiencing self. In fact, it’s just another kind of experiencing self that wants different things.
I’m glad I read this piece. It makes a good point!
Can you expand on the connection to EA? I’m not sure I quite see it.
I guess it depends on how narrowly you define EA. I think of evaluating states of pleasure/suffering, affective forecasting, and decision-making as common EA topics. My argument is related to a hedonistic utilitarian argument against preference utilitarianism, but I don’t often hear people taking on shortcomings of the remembering self the way they do preferences. Usually the remembering self is held out as a superior perspective on life because it’s out of the moment, when I argue it’s just as selfish as the experiencing self. In fact, it’s just another kind of experiencing self that wants different things.
Thanks! I don’t disagree. Btw the link to the Remembering self is dead.