Through various thought experiments around the drowning child scenario, Scott critiques common moral frameworks and proposes using Rawls' 'original position' to develop a more coherent system of moral obligations. Longer summary

Scott explores the limitations of distance and entanglement in Peter Singer's drowning child thought experiment through several creative variations. He examines two descriptive theories that explain our moral intuitions: the Copenhagen interpretation of ethics (gaining moral obligation by 'touching' a situation) and declining marginal utility of moral goods. However, he argues against using these as prescriptive theories, showing through thought experiments how they lead to absurd outcomes. Instead, he proposes using Rawls' 'original position' as a framework: imagining pre-incarnation intelligences making deals about earthly moral obligations. This leads to a system where everyone contributes to a general pot for helping others, with local emergency obligations distributed based on proximity and ability to help, not moral luck. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander explores the complex ethical and legal issues surrounding sexual consent for institutionalized and intellectually disabled individuals, arguing for a nuanced approach that balances protection and autonomy. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses the complex issue of consent for institutionalized and intellectually disabled individuals, particularly regarding sexual activity. He explores the tension between protecting vulnerable people from abuse and respecting their autonomy and human desires. The post examines current practices in mental hospitals, long-term care facilities, and legal cases involving disabled individuals. Scott argues that while strict legal protections are necessary, there may be ethical grounds for a more nuanced approach in certain situations, allowing for non-verbal forms of consent and considering the overall well-being of the individuals involved. He critiques both overly restrictive policies and potentially exploitative ones, advocating for a careful, case-by-case consideration of these sensitive issues. Shorter summary

Scott discusses the challenge of incorporating animal welfare into effective altruism, proposing a balanced approach to expand moral circles while preserving sanity. Longer summary

Scott reflects on a discussion with Buck about animal welfare in effective altruism. The argument suggests that if animals have non-zero moral value, their welfare should vastly outweigh human concerns due to their numbers. Scott acknowledges the logic but struggles with fully accepting it. He compares this to the process of widening circles of concern, from self to family to community to all humanity. Scott concludes that he, like most people, never fully completes this process of expanding concern. Instead, he proposes a meta-consistent approach of allocating some resources to each new circle of concern while reserving the rest for sanity, allowing him to accept the importance of animal welfare without completely abandoning human-focused causes. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander reviews Singer's book on Marx, finding Marx's ideas deeply flawed, particularly his refusal to plan for communist governance and his belief in infinitely malleable human nature. Longer summary

Scott Alexander reviews Peter Singer's 'Marx: A Very Short Introduction', finding Marx's ideas even more problematic than he initially thought. He criticizes Marx's refusal to plan for communist governance, his belief in the non-existence of human nature, and his naive assumptions about coordination. Scott does acknowledge one insightful aspect of Marx's thought related to collective irrationality, but notes this wasn't original to Marx. The review ends with Scott suggesting that the real challenge for Marxist intellectuals should be developing systems that solve coordination problems better than capitalism. Shorter summary