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#137 – Andreas Mogensen on whether effective altruism is just for consequentialists

80,000 Hours Podcast

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Moral Dilemmas in Consequentialist Thinking

This chapter examines the cognitive hurdles people face in understanding and valuing immense numbers related to consequentialist thinking and effective altruism. The speakers explore the ethical complexities of weighing significant harms against minor benefits in uncertain situations, particularly in relation to large-scale events like the World Cup. They challenge listeners to reflect on the implications of prioritizing identifiable lives over statistical lives in ethical decision-making, highlighting the tension between potential societal benefits and moral obligations to prevent direct harm.

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