Scott Alexander examines the paradox of economic growth not increasing happiness in developing countries, questioning the moral implications for global development efforts. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses the paradox that economic growth in developing countries like China doesn't seem to increase happiness, despite lifting millions out of poverty. He explores the implications of this for utilitarianism and effective altruism, questioning whether efforts to boost national development are truly beneficial if they don't increase happiness. The post examines various explanations and potential responses to this dilemma, including abandoning consequentialism, redefining happiness, or focusing on preference utilitarianism. Ultimately, Scott expresses discomfort with all these options and acknowledges the perplexing nature of happiness research. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander addresses misconceptions about Moloch and human values, clarifying points from his previous post on the subject. Longer summary

This post addresses several misconceptions about the concept of Moloch and human values, as discussed in a previous post. Scott clarifies that human values are not just about hedonism, explains how conquering the laws of physics is possible metaphorically, defends the potential truth value of widely-held beliefs, and acknowledges that while human values may have evolved through 'blind' processes, they can still be worth preserving. He uses analogies, philosophical arguments, and references to previous writings to counter these misconceptions, maintaining a somewhat technical but accessible tone throughout. Shorter summary