Clearer Thinking with Spencer Greenberg Utopia on earth and morality without guilt (with Joe Carlsmith)
Aug 11, 2021
In this engaging discussion, Joe Carlsmith, a research analyst at Open Philanthropy and a doctoral student at Oxford, explores the elusive concept of utopia. He probes into our aspirations versus the pitfalls of idealism, emphasizing the need for a dynamic understanding of a shared future. Carlsmith delves into the ethics of existence, raising questions about procreation and its moral implications. He contrasts 'wholehearted morality' with guilt-laden moral frameworks, inviting listeners to rethink ethical engagement, non-attachment, and the intricacies of consciousness.
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Utopia Categories
- Utopias are envisioned as either concrete (human-scale specifics) or sublime (incomprehensible awesomeness).
- Both have failure modes: concrete can feel limited, and sublime can lack emotional connection.
Utopia Objections
- Some people object to concrete utopias as boring or unappealing.
- Joe Carlsmith's friend jokingly envisions his utopia as playing video games on a pizza pile.
Bostrom's Banana Analogy
- Nick Bostrom's analogy: apes wanting only bananas undersells utopia's potential.
- Humans should avoid similar shortsightedness in utopian visions.