Scott Alexander reevaluates Kant's philosophy of universalizability, applying it to modern ethical dilemmas and exploring its relationship with utilitarianism. Longer summary

Scott Alexander revisits Immanuel Kant's philosophy, particularly his concept of universalizability, and finds it more insightful than he previously thought. He reframes Kant's controversial axe murderer example to show how it relates to maintaining the possibility of positive-sum bargains. Scott then applies Kantian principles to modern ethical dilemmas, discussing the challenges in defining and universalizing maxims. He explores the relationship between universalizability and utilitarianism, suggesting that consequentialism might be prior to universalizability, which in turn could be prior to specific versions of utilitarianism. The post ends with an acknowledgment that while these ideas are complex and confusing, they represent a higher level of understanding about important ethical issues. Shorter summary