Then perhaps one question could be whether he thinks ETG as an idea is per se problematic, or whether the main point is ~ that it needs to be better channeled / have more robust guardrails.
For instance, in conventional morality, being a neurosurgeon is seen as prosocial, beneficial activity (even though they make some serious coin, at least in the US). One might think that encouraging people to become neurosurgeons is benign at worst. In contrast, even apart from SBF, one might think crypto is net-negative for the world, and that at least certain pathways to getting rich in crypto rely on behavior that is morally problematic. (I am not expressing an opinion on that perspective beyond a view that is plausible on its face.) Furthermore, one might believe that ETG creates a fertile ground for motivated reasoning, such as dismissing the harms of crypto because it produces a lot of money to further EA aims. That seems much less of a concern for neurosurgery, even though I actually do have some criticisms of that field too!
Then perhaps one question could be whether he thinks ETG as an idea is per se problematic, or whether the main point is ~ that it needs to be better channeled / have more robust guardrails.
For instance, in conventional morality, being a neurosurgeon is seen as prosocial, beneficial activity (even though they make some serious coin, at least in the US). One might think that encouraging people to become neurosurgeons is benign at worst. In contrast, even apart from SBF, one might think crypto is net-negative for the world, and that at least certain pathways to getting rich in crypto rely on behavior that is morally problematic. (I am not expressing an opinion on that perspective beyond a view that is plausible on its face.) Furthermore, one might believe that ETG creates a fertile ground for motivated reasoning, such as dismissing the harms of crypto because it produces a lot of money to further EA aims. That seems much less of a concern for neurosurgery, even though I actually do have some criticisms of that field too!
I think this is a good reframing that would reveal something more interesting!