While I definitely think it’s correct that EA should distance itself from adopting any one moral philosophy and instead adopt a more pluralistic approach, it might still be useful to have a wing of the movement dedicated to moral philosophy. I don’t see why EA can’t be a haven for moral and political philosophers collaborating with other EA members to do the most good possible, as it might be worthwhile to focus on wide-scale systematic change and more abstract, fundamental questions such as what value is in the first place. In fact, one weakness of EA is precisely that it isn’t pluralistic in terms of the demographic of its members and how they view systematic change; for example, consider Tyler Cowen’s quote about EA’s demographic in the United States:
“But I think the demographics of the EA movement are essentially the US Democratic Party. And that’s what the EA movement over time will evolve into. If you think the existential risk is this kind of funny, weird thing, it doesn’t quite fit. Well, it will be kind of a branch of Democratic Party thinking that makes philanthropy a bit more global, a bit more effective. I wouldn’t say it’s a stupider version, but it’s a less philosophical version that’s a lot easier to sell to non-philosophers.”
If wide-scale philosophical collaboration was incorporated into EA, then I think it might be a rare opportunity for political philosophers of all stripes (e.g., libertarians, socialists, anarchists, neoliberals, etc.) to collaborate on systematic questions relating to how to do the most good. I think this is especially needed considering how polarised politics has become. Additionally, considering abstract questions relating to the fundamental nature of value would particularly help with expected value calculations that are more vague, trying to compare the value of qualitatively distinct experiences.
While I definitely think it’s correct that EA should distance itself from adopting any one moral philosophy and instead adopt a more pluralistic approach, it might still be useful to have a wing of the movement dedicated to moral philosophy. I don’t see why EA can’t be a haven for moral and political philosophers collaborating with other EA members to do the most good possible, as it might be worthwhile to focus on wide-scale systematic change and more abstract, fundamental questions such as what value is in the first place. In fact, one weakness of EA is precisely that it isn’t pluralistic in terms of the demographic of its members and how they view systematic change; for example, consider Tyler Cowen’s quote about EA’s demographic in the United States:
“But I think the demographics of the EA movement are essentially the US Democratic Party. And that’s what the EA movement over time will evolve into. If you think the existential risk is this kind of funny, weird thing, it doesn’t quite fit. Well, it will be kind of a branch of Democratic Party thinking that makes philanthropy a bit more global, a bit more effective. I wouldn’t say it’s a stupider version, but it’s a less philosophical version that’s a lot easier to sell to non-philosophers.”
If wide-scale philosophical collaboration was incorporated into EA, then I think it might be a rare opportunity for political philosophers of all stripes (e.g., libertarians, socialists, anarchists, neoliberals, etc.) to collaborate on systematic questions relating to how to do the most good. I think this is especially needed considering how polarised politics has become. Additionally, considering abstract questions relating to the fundamental nature of value would particularly help with expected value calculations that are more vague, trying to compare the value of qualitatively distinct experiences.