Thanks for this, and I can definitely see the parallels here.
Interestingly, from an initial read of the extracts you helpfully posted above, I can see Popper’s argument working for or against mine.
On one hand, it is not hard to identify a utopian strain in EA thought (particularly in long-termism as you have pointed out). On the other, I think there is a strong case to be made that EA is doing exactly what Popper suggests when he says: Work for the elimination of concrete evils rather than for the realization of abstract goods. Do not aim at establishing happiness by political means. Rather aim at the elimination of concrete miseries. I see the EA community’s efforts in areas like malaria and direct cash transfers as falling firmly within the ‘elimination of concrete evils’ camp.
Thanks for engaging with my piece and for these interesting thoughts—really appreciate it.
I agree that, on a personal level, turning ‘doing the most good’ into an instrumental goal towards the terminal goal of ‘being happy’ sounds like an intuitive and healthy way to approach decision-making. My concern however is that this is not EA, or at least not EA as embodied by its fundamental principles as explored in my piece.
The question that comes to my mind as I read your comment is: ‘is instrumental EA (A) a personal ad hoc exemption to EA (i.e. a form of weak EA), or (B) a proposed reformulation of EA’s principles?’
If the former, then I think this is subject to the same pressures as outlined in my piece. If the latter, then my concern would be that the fundamental objective of this reformulation is so divorced from EA’s original intention that the concept of EA becomes meaningless.