Re:Erik Hoel on Effective Altruism, Utilitarianism, and the ...
by throw_pm23 on Wednesday November 16, 2022 @03:27PM
(#33630033)
I'm confused about the _why_ question.
What makes me value the former more than the latter is that it is closer to me. My utility for problems near me is much higher than for problems far away.
If my family would face malaria, I would care more about that than about faraway soccer clubs.
Also, I find that goodwill at a distance has a terrible track record. In a recent case, someone who was preaching effective altruism stole 10B instead. I'd rather he stayed poor and donated $10 to the local soccer club.
What makes me value the former more than the latter is that it is closer to me. My utility for problems near me is much higher than for problems far away.
If my family would face malaria, I would care more about that than about faraway soccer clubs.
Also, I find that goodwill at a distance has a terrible track record. In a recent case, someone who was preaching effective altruism stole 10B instead. I'd rather he stayed poor and donated $10 to the local soccer club.