Executive summary: Difference-making risk aversion (DMRA) is explored as a potential decision-making approach for effective altruism, examining its merits as both a strategy for achieving absolute good and as an intrinsically valuable moral consideration.
Key points:
DMRA favors actions with high probability of making a difference over those with higher expected value but more uncertainty.
DMRA can violate stochastic dominance, potentially conflicting with pure benevolence.
DMRA may be justified as a local strategy under uncertainty about background value in the world.
Arguments for intrinsic value of difference-making include meaning-making, being an actual cause, and valuing positive change.
Open questions remain about the proper formulation and application of DMRA in decision-making.
Further work is needed to fully justify DMRA against competing decision theories.
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Executive summary: Difference-making risk aversion (DMRA) is explored as a potential decision-making approach for effective altruism, examining its merits as both a strategy for achieving absolute good and as an intrinsically valuable moral consideration.
Key points:
DMRA favors actions with high probability of making a difference over those with higher expected value but more uncertainty.
DMRA can violate stochastic dominance, potentially conflicting with pure benevolence.
DMRA may be justified as a local strategy under uncertainty about background value in the world.
Arguments for intrinsic value of difference-making include meaning-making, being an actual cause, and valuing positive change.
Open questions remain about the proper formulation and application of DMRA in decision-making.
Further work is needed to fully justify DMRA against competing decision theories.
This comment was auto-generated by the EA Forum Team. Feel free to point out issues with this summary by replying to the comment, and contact us if you have feedback.