Beware the Temptation of Utilitarian Justifications

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The dangerous aspect of communism and similar ideologies lies in the belief that the ends justify the means, allowing for morally reprehensible actions such as violence and oppression. This line of reasoning can lead to justifying extreme measures under the guise of achieving a greater good. Therefore, it is crucial to avoid the slippery slope of utilitarian ethics, which, despite its popularity among some intellectuals, poses significant moral risks and could lead to harmful outcomes.

In this episode of “The Ben & Marc Show”, a16z’s co-founders Ben Horowitz and Marc Andreessen take on the biggest and most important film of the year – Christopher Nolan’s latest blockbuster “Oppenheimer”.

The film – based on the 2005 biography “American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer'' by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin – chronicles the life of the American theoretical physicist, whose direction of the top secret Manhattan Project forever changed the course of world history.

In this one-on-one conversation based on YOUR questions from Twitter, Marc and Ben examine the historical accuracies (and inaccuracies) of Nolan’s epic work, explore in-depth the life of the enigmatic physicist himself, and tackle – from all angles – the social and philosophical aspects of communism, a theme that weighs heavily in the film, as Oppenheimer’s association with party members led to his political downfall.

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Watch the video version here: https://youtu.be/AwOFcxENsVk?si=vUF9ZO5Fcj9W0O49

Resources:

Marc on X: https://twitter.com/pmarca

Marc’s Substack: https://pmarca.substack.com/

Ben on X: https://twitter.com/bhorowitz

NY Times: "The Problem With Everything-Bagel Liberalism" by Ezra Klein: ’https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/02/op...

Books mentioned on this podcast (and others you’ll want to check out):

– “Red Decade” by Eugene Lyons https://amzn.to/3OEQMbZ

– “When Reason Goes on Holiday: Philosophers in Politics” by Neven Sesardic https://amzn.to/455zYRv

– "Witness" by Whittaker Chambers https://amzn.to/3OEu0RC

– ”The Great Leap Forward" by Alexander J. Field https://amzn.to/3QlCYV2

– "The Economic Consequences of U.S. Mobilization for the Second World War" by Alexander J. Field https://amzn.to/3Yemsbz

– “The Man From the Future: The Visionary Life of John von Neumann” by Ananyo Bhattacharya https://amzn.to/446SbNf

– “Stalin's War: A New History of World War II” by Sean McMeekin https://amzn.to/47c29zw

– “McCarthy” by Arthur Herman https://amzn.to/3OFKYzc

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