Dealing with a Paradox in Utilitarianism: Valuing Prospects and Risk

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A paradox exists when trying to make utilitarianism work for calculations with long odds
Academic philosophy can be seen as messy, but that is not a criticism
The field of philosophy of consciousness is also complex

Neuroscientist Erik Hoel talks about why he is not an "effective altruist" with EconTalk host, Russ Roberts. Hoel argues that the utilitarianism that underlies effective altruism--a movement co-founded by Will MacAskill and Peter Singer--is a poison that inevitably leads to repugnant conclusions and thereby weakens the case for the strongest claims made by effective altruists.