Making Sense with Sam Harris #446 — How to Do the Most Good
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Dec 1, 2025 
In this thought-provoking conversation, Michael Plant, a philosopher and the founder of the Happier Lives Institute, delves into the complexities of happiness and effective altruism. They tackle the nature of well-being through Nozick's 'Experience Machine' and discuss the significance of self-reported happiness. Michael emphasizes the impact of treating depression over mere financial aid, while critiquing the moral consequences of good intentions. Additionally, they explore the future implications of AI on human flourishing and address the meaning crisis in a world increasingly defined by technology.
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Well-Being As The Core Moral Measure
- Utilitarianism focuses on maximizing well-being, understood as what makes a life go well for someone.
- Michael Plant argues hedonic well-being (positive valence) is the most compelling measure and drives moral reasoning.
Deontology Often Hides Consequentialist Math
- Deontological constraints often covertly rely on consequentialist judgments about outcomes.
- Sam Harris suggests many deontological principles collapse to consequentialist reasoning when fully considered.
Consider Systemic Consequences, Not Isolated Acts
- Consequentialist objections (e.g., killing one to save five) ignore wider social and institutional consequences.
- Sam Harris notes the cascading harms of normalizing horrific actions make such trade-offs unacceptable in practice.