Published Sep 26, 2022

Erik Hoel on Effective Altruism, Utilitarianism, and the Repugnant Conclusion

Erik Hoel takes a critical look at the philosophical foundations of effective altruism and utilitarianism, highlighting their ethical pitfalls, especially regarding AI safety and the troubling 'repugnant conclusion.' He advocates for a shift towards more practical legal and political strategies to address these challenges.

Episode Highlights

Topics covered

Episode Highlights

Related Episodes

Rob Wiblin and Russ Roberts on Charity, Science, and Utilitarianism
Answers 383 questions
Erik Hoel on the Threat to Humanity from AI
Answers 383 questions
William MacAskill on Effective Altruism and Doing Good Better
Answers 383 questions
Michael Munger on How Adam Smith Solved the Trolley Problem
Answers 383 questions
Richard Robb on Willful
Answers 383 questions
Joshua Greene on Moral Tribes, Moral Dilemmas, and Utilitarianism
Answers 383 questions
Erik Hoel on Consciousness, Free Will, and the Limits of Science
Answers 383 questions
Elie Hassenfeld on GiveWell
Answers 383 questions
Ariel Rubinstein on Game Theory and Behavioral Economics
Answers 383 questions
Peter Singer on The Life You Can Save
Answers 383 questions
Ryan Holiday on Ego is the Enemy
Answers 383 questions
Paul Bloom on Cruelty
Answers 383 questions
Richard Thaler on Libertarian Paternalism
Answers 383 questions
Does Parenting Make You a Better Person? (with Erik Hoel)
Answers 383 questions
Dan Klein on The Theory of Moral Sentiments, Episode 3--A Discussion of Part II
Answers 383 questions

Dexa/Russ Roberts

Erik Hoel on Effective Altruism, Utilitarianism, and the Repugnant Conclusion

Topics covered

Popular Clips

Ethical Thought Experiments

The Role of Religion in AI Ethics

The Trolley Problem Complexified

The Value of Trivial Inconveniences

Repugnant Conclusions

The Limits of Utilitarianism

AI Consciousness Debate

Expanding Charity's Reach

The Evolution of Morality

The Morality of Arbitrage

The Moral Calculus

Effective Altruism's Impact

Repugnant Conclusions

Effective Altruism: The Moneyball of Charity

The Repugnant Conclusion

Episode Highlights

Effective Altruism Movement

AI Ethics and Risk

Critiques of Utilitarianism

Related Episodes

Rob Wiblin and Russ Roberts on Charity, Science, and Utilitarianism

Erik Hoel on the Threat to Humanity from AI

William MacAskill on Effective Altruism and Doing Good Better

Michael Munger on How Adam Smith Solved the Trolley Problem

Richard Robb on Willful

Joshua Greene on Moral Tribes, Moral Dilemmas, and Utilitarianism

Erik Hoel on Consciousness, Free Will, and the Limits of Science

Elie Hassenfeld on GiveWell

Ariel Rubinstein on Game Theory and Behavioral Economics

Peter Singer on The Life You Can Save

Ryan Holiday on Ego is the Enemy

Paul Bloom on Cruelty

Richard Thaler on Libertarian Paternalism

Does Parenting Make You a Better Person? (with Erik Hoel)

Dan Klein on The Theory of Moral Sentiments, Episode 3--A Discussion of Part II

Erik Hoel on Effective Altruism, Utilitarianism, and the Repugnant Conclusion

Topics covered

Popular Clips

Episode Highlights

Effective Altruism Movement

AI Ethics and RiskErik Hoel critiques the effective altruism movement's approach to AI safety, arguing that its utilitarian roots lead to ethically troubling conclusions. He calls for a reevaluation of priorities, emphasizing the need for legal and political measures to regulate AI development.

AI Ethics and Risk

Critiques of Utilitarianism

Related Episodes