Scott explores moral offsetting, introducing a framework distinguishing axiology, morality, and law to argue that we can offset axiological but not moral violations. Longer summary

This post explores the concept of moral offsetting, comparing it to carbon offsetting and questioning its limitations. Scott introduces a framework distinguishing between axiology (study of what's good), morality (study of right actions), and law (legal rules). He argues that these concepts make different compromises between goodness, implementation, and coordination. Using this framework, Scott proposes that we can offset axiology but not morality. For example, carbon emissions or meat consumption can be offset as they don't violate moral laws, while murder cannot be offset as it does. The post concludes that this framework provides a clearer answer to the moral offsetting problem than previous attempts, though acknowledging it's somewhat speculative. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander examines the concept of 'ethics offsets', exploring its applications and ethical implications from simple cases to extreme scenarios. Longer summary

This post explores the concept of 'ethics offsets', where people compensate for ethically questionable actions by performing good deeds. Scott starts with simple examples like carbon offsets, then moves to more complex scenarios involving vegetarianism and murder. He discusses the ethical implications and potential issues with this approach, such as the problem of universalizability and the crossing of moral boundaries. The post raises questions about the limits of ethical offsetting and whether it can justify any action if the positive impact is deemed greater than the negative. Shorter summary

Two scientists explore a world where physics operates on English anagrams, leading to ethical dilemmas and potentially catastrophic consequences. Longer summary

This story follows Dr. Omar Reyes and Dr. Lachlan Fairchild as they explore an imagined world called Adwellia, created by the mind of Dr. Michael Adwell. In this world, physics operates based on English language anagrams. The scientists conduct experiments to understand this 'anglophysics', but their research leads to ethical dilemmas and dangerous consequences. The story culminates in a paradoxical reaction that may have destroyed Adwellia, with Dr. Reyes narrowly escaping back to his own dimension. Shorter summary

Scott argues that virtue ethics is not merely intuitive morality and that relying on intuition alone fails to address complex ethical dilemmas. Longer summary

Scott critiques the idea that virtue ethics is simply using intuitive moral sense. He outlines five key claims of virtue ethics, arguing these are not intuitive for most people. He then discusses the limitations of relying solely on intuitive morality, pointing out that moral philosophy is needed precisely for situations where intuition fails or conflicts arise. The post concludes that while intuitive morality is useful for obvious cases, it doesn't solve the complex ethical dilemmas that moral philosophy aims to address. Shorter summary