The hottest Utilitarianism Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Less Utilitarian Than Thou

Astral Codex Ten • 14522 implied HN points • 28 Feb 24
📖 Philosophy Ethics Utilitarianism Morality Tradeoffs Society
  1. Some actions considered acceptable by many are questioned by those who identify as utilitarian or consequentialist, highlighting differing moral perspectives.
  2. Utilitarians may advocate for policies that involve sacrificing or compromising certain ethical norms for the greater good, whereas non-utilitarians may not view these actions in the same light.
  3. The perception of utilitarians being more willing to do harm for the greater good may stem from the discomfort with the idea of calculating morality and the juxtaposition of sacred values with utilitarian reasoning.

Why I Ran Away from Philosophy Because of Sam Bankman-Fried

The Honest Broker • 26862 implied HN points • 04 Nov 23
📖 Philosophy Ethics Academia Logic Utilitarianism
  1. The philosophy of Effective Altruism may prioritize long-term consequences over immediate actions, leading to risky ethical decisions.
  2. Analytic philosophy, specifically of the Anglo-American variety, can promote perspectives that prioritize maximizing pleasure, potentially leading to damaging outcomes.
  3. Beware of philosophical systems that justify harmful actions by focusing on a 'larger context' and be cautious of practitioners who calculate consequences before performing acts of kindness or generosity.

The State

Fake Noûs • 336 implied HN points • 20 May 23
📖 Philosophy Authority Utilitarianism Fairness Anarchism
  1. The problem of authority in political philosophy questions the basis for political legitimacy and obligation.
  2. The Utilitarian Account suggests the state's authority comes from providing social order, but doesn't explain unnecessary laws.
  3. Anarchism challenges the notion of state authority, advocating for minimal coercive activities and privatization of necessary government functions.

Useful Utility: Accounting for Taste (Part 2)

reedmolbak • 19 implied HN points • 27 Jan 24
📖 Philosophy Ethics Morality Taste Consequentialism Utilitarianism
  1. Moral philosophy can be based on individual tastes rather than universal principles, leading to ethical decisions rooted in personal preferences.
  2. Conflicts in tastes are common, and ethical choices involve recognizing and balancing personal preferences, whether altruistic or self-centered.
  3. Utilitarianism suggests evaluating and prioritizing individual tastes to make decisions that best satisfy personal desires and goals.
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Useful Utility: Consequences (Part 1)

reedmolbak • 19 implied HN points • 27 Jan 24
📖 Philosophy Ethics Decision-making Consequentialism Utilitarianism
  1. Consequentialism focuses on the outcomes of actions rather than the actions themselves
  2. Utilitarianism's core concept is that decisions should be made based on consequences and what's best for achieving goals
  3. Ethical decisions often benefit from using a consequentialist approach, considering outcomes and consequences over abstract ethical theories

A general argument for the left

Philosophy bear • 83 implied HN points • 24 Aug 23
📖 Philosophy Political Ideologies Ethics Social Issues Utilitarianism
  1. The main challenge is the significant polarization in politics, raising a question of reliability of conflicting propositions from different sides.
  2. Historically, movements favoring the weak have been vindicated, indicating a common theme of standing up for underdogs.
  3. Utilitarian perspective suggests prioritizing the needs of the weak over the strong for a greater good.

Steelmanning Anti-Utilitarianism

Superb Owl • 1 HN point • 04 Mar 24
📖 Philosophy Ethics Utilitarianism Morality Mathematics
  1. Quantifying morality through Utilitarianism can be limiting, as it may lead to extremist views and overlook other sources of moral guidance.
  2. Trying to quantify morality using mathematical frameworks can obscure the complexity of human well-being and lead to oversimplified moral judgements.
  3. Mathematizing ethics can allow for biases to be disguised as objective truths, potentially leading individuals to act against their own moral compass.