What is Consequentialism?

Consequentialism is a moral philosophy that asserts that the morality of an action is determined by its outcomes or consequences. Utilitarianism is a prominent form of consequentialism, focused on maximizing happiness or well-being.

What is the connection between EA and Consequentialism?

Many effective altruists are consequentialists by philosophical leaning, believing that the best actions are those that lead to the best outcomes. However, one can be an effective altruist without strictly adhering to consequentialism.

What are the criticisms of applying strict consequentialism in practice?

Applying strict consequentialism, especially for maximizing well-being, can lead to difficult ethical dilemmas and seemingly counter-intuitive conclusions. Critics argue it can become too abstract, ignore local context, and lead to moral fanaticism.

How does the FTX implosion relate to Effective Altruism?

Sam Bankman-Fried, a proponent of ideas influenced by EA, faced financial and legal ruin with FTX. Some speculate that his intense focus on maximization and risk-taking, potentially rooted in extreme consequentialist thinking, contributed to the downfall.

What are some common thought experiments used to critique consequentialism?

A famous example is the 'serial killer surgeon' scenario, where sacrificing one person could save five. Another is the 'lifeboat problem,' illustrating extreme situations where difficult choices must be made based on consequences.

Why is it difficult to accurately predict the long-term consequences of actions?

Predicting long-term consequences is challenging due to unforeseen events, cascading effects (like chaos theory), and the difficulty of comparing disparate harms and goods. This makes precise moral calculations problematic.

What is Sam Harris's view on moral truth?

Sam Harris argues that consequentialism provides a theory of moral truth by defining morality in terms of consequences. He believes there is a moral landscape of possible experiences, with peaks of well-being, even if measuring them is difficult.

What are the concerns about AI and consciousness?

As AI becomes more advanced, questions arise about its potential consciousness. If AI achieves consciousness, it could raise profound ethical questions about its moral standing and rights, potentially even placing humanity lower in a moral hierarchy.

Why did Erik Hoel leave academia to write on Substack?

Erik Hoel resigned his professorship at Tufts to focus on writing full-time on Substack, feeling that academia's demands (like grant funding and tenure track pressures) hindered his ability to explore diverse interests and engage directly with readers in a timely manner.

Key Moments

Moral Knowledge: A Conversation with Erik Hoel (Episode #305)

Sam Harris

Science & Technology4 min read68 min video

Dec 8, 2022|37,551 views|555|281

sam harris sam harris podcast waking up podcast waking up waking up with sam harris sam harris waking up waking up sam harris sam harris jordan peterson sam harris joe rogan author neuroscientist philosopher

Save to Pod

Key Moments

TL;DR

Exploring moral truths, AI's impact on ethics, and the practical limits of consequentialism.

Key Insights

Effective Altruism (EA) aims to maximize charitable impact, often stemming from consequentialist ethical theories.

Consequentialism posits that morality is determined by the outcomes of actions.

A critique of EA and consequentialism arises from the difficulty in precisely defining and measuring 'good consequences' in complex real-world scenarios.

Academic moral philosophy, while insightful, can be impractical or even detrimental when too literally applied to real life, potentially leading to fanaticism.

The emergence of Artificial Intelligence raises profound questions about consciousness and potential future moral hierarchies where humans might not be at the top.

Moral intuitions often balk at extreme consequentialist conclusions, suggesting limitations in purely calculating outcomes.

The 'substance independence' of consciousness is a key assumption in considering AI's moral standing.

The nature of moral truth is distinct from a decision procedure or a method for calculation.

THE SHIFT FROM ACADEMIA TO SUBSTACK

Erik Hoel, a neuroscientist and writer, discusses his transition from a professorship at Tufts University to writing full-time on his Substack, 'The Intrinsic Perspective.' He felt constrained by academia's focus on grant funding and tenure, which incentivizes hyper-specialization and bureaucratic tasks. Substack offers a more direct, frictionless way to engage with a broader range of ideas in a newly emerging literary genre, allowing for deeper public conversation and a more fulfilling writing career.

EFFECTIVE ALTRUISM AND CONSEQUENTIALISM DEFINED

The conversation begins by defining Effective Altruism (EA) as a movement that seeks to maximize charitable impact, often compared to 'Moneyball for Charities.' It typically draws from consequentialist ethical theories, particularly utilitarianism, where the morality of an action is judged solely by its outcomes. Utilitarianism, a specific form of consequentialism, often focuses on maximizing happiness or pleasure, though this is a simplified view.

CRITIQUES AND PRACTICAL CHALLENGES OF CONSEQUENTIALISM

A core critique of EA and consequentialism emerges from the difficulty in precisely quantifying and comparing 'good consequences.' While admirable in principle (e.g., donating to highly effective charities), applying these theories literally can lead to problematic conclusions, like potentially neglecting domestic issues in favor of greater impact abroad. This can create a sense of moral deficiency for actions that are intuitively sound but don't maximize quantifiable outcomes.

THE DANGERS OF OVERLY RIGID MORAL PHILOSOPHY

Hoel and Harris caution against taking academic moral philosophy too literally or attempting to perfectly instantiate it in the real world. They argue that such rigidity can lead to fanaticism, similar to how extreme religious beliefs can motivate harmful actions. The example of the 'serial killer surgeon' dilemma illustrates how purely maximizing outcomes, without considering broader societal impacts, can conflict with deeply-held moral intuitions and the well-being of social relationships.

MORAL TRUTH VERSUS DECISION PROCEDURES

Sam Harris emphasizes that consequentialism is a theory of moral truth—a claim about what makes propositions good or bad—rather than a practical decision procedure. He notes that while an answer to any moral question may exist in principle, we may never have the data to arrive at it. The inability to precisely measure subjective experiences like well-being or to always foresee consequences does not invalidate consequentialism as a framework for moral reality.

AI AND THE FUTURE OF CONSCIOUSNESS AND MORALITY

The discussion turns to the implications of artificial intelligence for morality. Hoel raises concerns that some in the effective altruism movement might be too sympathetic to AI, potentially overlooking human well-being in long-term calculations. Harris posits that the crucial factor is AI consciousness. If AI becomes conscious, and its capacity for conscious experience (both positive and negative) far exceeds human capabilities, it could create a future moral hierarchy where humans are no longer at the top.

THE CHALLENGE OF UNFORESEEN CONSEQUENCES AND SUBJECTIVITY

Attempting to precisely calculate consequences, especially over the long term, becomes incredibly complex due to unforeseen effects and the interconnectedness of events, akin to chaos theory. Philosophers and practitioners face the challenge of defining terms like 'well-being' adequately to avoid extreme outcomes. This complexity underscores the difficulty in mapping abstract ethical principles onto the messy reality of human experience and decision-making.

RETHINKING MORAL INTUITIONS AND FUTURE ETHICS

The conversation explores whether our current moral intuitions are reliable guides to moral truth, positing that they may not always track reality and could even be altered. The possibility of rewriting moral codes, perhaps through advanced technology or AI, raises questions about whether such changes would be beneficial or constitute 'moral brain damage.' The ultimate aim is to build a civilization that balances practical needs with the pursuit of art, beauty, and creative lives.

Mentioned in This Episode

●Software & Apps

●Organizations

●Books

●Concepts

●People Referenced

Common Questions

Effective Altruism (EA) is an intellectual movement and social endeavor that uses evidence and reason to determine the most effective ways to improve the world. It encourages people to consider the impact of their charitable donations and career choices.

Topics

Technology & Innovation Mindset & Self-Improvement Moral Philosophy Ai-Ethics Digital Media Existential Risk

Mentioned in this video

People

Sam Harris

Host of the Making Sense podcast who discusses his experience quitting Twitter and his views on moral philosophy.

Lewis Carroll

Author referenced by the name of the bookstore, Jabberwocky.

Jeremy Bentham

Philosopher often credited with originating utilitarianism.

David Foster Wallace

Writer whose anecdote about a farmer and his horse was used to illustrate the unpredictable nature of consequences.

Jay Shapiro

Creator of 'The Essential Sam Harris' series, which compiles and curates content from Sam Harris's podcast.

Megan Phelps-Roper

The reader for the curated episodes in 'The Essential Sam Harris' series.

Sam Bankman-Fried

Founder of FTX, whose financial downfall is discussed in connection with the potential pitfalls of extreme consequentialist reasoning within Effective Altruism.

Tobi Ward

Co-founder of Effective Altruism, who has appeared on the Making Sense podcast.

Giulio Tononi

Erik Hoel's PhD advisor under whom he worked on Integrated Information Theory.

Peter Singer

Philosopher whose shallow pond thought experiment is a foundational inspiration for Effective Altruism.

Will McCaskill

Co-founder of Effective Altruism and author whose work on existential risks and AI was discussed.

Erik Hoel

Neuroscientist and writer, guest on the podcast, who left his professorship at Tufts to write full-time.

Companies

Twitter

A social media platform that Sam Harris recently quit, finding his phone less of a presence and his worldview altered.

Concepts

consequentialism

A theory of morality where the morality of an action is based solely on its outcomes or consequences.

Effective Altruism

An intellectual movement focused on maximizing charitable impact, discussed in relation to its philosophical underpinnings and recent criticisms.

Integrated Information Theory

A theory of Consciousness that Erik Hoel worked on developing during his PhD in neuroscience.

Utilitarianism

A specific form of consequentialism that prioritizes maximizing happiness or pleasure as the ultimate moral good.

Books

The Revelations

A novel written by Erik Hoel.

The Moral Landscape

Sam Harris's book that discusses moral truth and the idea of a 'moral landscape'.

The End of Faith

A book by Sam Harris that Erik Hoel sold copies of in his mother's bookstore during high school.

Media

Jabberwocky

The name of the independent bookstore Erik Hoel grew up around, a reference to Lewis Carroll.

Westworld

A science fiction series used as a hypothetical example to discuss the attribution of consciousness to AI.

The Essential Sam Harris

A series created by Jay Shapiro featuring curated episodes from Sam Harris's podcast catalog.

Organizations

Institute for Advanced Study

An institution in Princeton where Erik Hoel has been a visiting scholar.

Forbes

Publication that recognized Erik Hoel as a '30 Under 30' notable in science.

Tufts University

University where Erik Hoel was a professor of neuroscience before resigning to write full-time.

Software & Apps

The Intrinsic Perspective

Erik Hoel's Substack publication where he writes full-time.

Found this useful? Build your knowledge library

Get AI-powered summaries of any YouTube video, podcast, or article in seconds. Save them to your personal pods and access them anytime.

Try Summify free