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Philosophy is arguably the most important thing in my life. I'd like to live a morally good life, and figuring out what makes such a life is a great journey. T
by yboris 6y ago
Philosophy is arguably the most important thing in my life. I'd like to live a morally good life, and figuring out what makes such a life is a great journey.
Thanks to my pursuit, I now give at least 10% of my income to the most cost-effective charities I can find (see GiveWell). Thousands of people do the same: https://www.givingwhatwecan.org/ https://www.givingwhatwecan.org/
Many philosophers are working on society's most pressing issues (see the Effective Altruism) movement.
Here's a recent book that may be relevant: https://www.moraluncertainty.com/ https://www.moraluncertainty.com/
- deleted 6y ago[deleted]
- whimsicalism 6y agoI've found that the effective altruist community (and other "neo-rationalist"-adjacent communities) can be very arrogant about ethical philosophy. Namely, they don't critically engage with alternatives to their ethical theory.
- yboris 6y agoThat's a shame. I hope they get better at empathy and engaging with alternative points of view. I wonder if part of it is youth. I am now 35 and have a more nuanced point of view on things (at least I try). When I was 25, I wasn't as good at it, and I was especially less experienced at communicating about it.
- computerphage 6y agoMy experience is that they engage with ethics more than any other groups that I'm familiar with, except professional philosophers (including PhD students of philosophy). The 80K podcast interviews professional philosophers all the time, for example: https://80000hours.org/podcast/episodes/hilary-greaves-comparing-existence-and-non-existence/ https://80000hours.org/podcast/episodes/hilary-greaves-compa... https://80000hours.org/podcast/episodes/will-macaskill-paralysis-and-hinge-of-history/ https://80000hours.org/podcast/episodes/will-macaskill-paral... https://80000hours.org/podcast/episodes/david-chalmers-nature-ethics-consciousness/ https://80000hours.org/podcast/episodes/david-chalmers-natur... https://80000hours.org/podcast/episodes/peter-singer-advocacy-and-the-life-you-can-save/ https://80000hours.org/podcast/episodes/peter-singer-advocac... Or, perhaps you mean that they engage with philosophy and philosophers, but they don't spread their engagement around in the field the right way?
- jackcosgrove 6y agoYour charity is fascinating and admirable. It's also funny to me because elsewhere in the comments people are arguing what the nature of religion is, and here you are tithing.
- ADayOnEarth 6y agoI don't see anything religious in donating a portion of your income to non-religious causes. In some religions or locations it is customary to give a certain percentage to one's church, for example 10%, but this is not a universal rule and the percentage varies, and sometimes it is optional and sometimes forced.