Auteursarchief: stijnbruers
Asymmetry in ethical principles
In general, we have to avoid unwanted arbitrariness in ethics. Arbitrariness is closely related to the notion of asymmetry. Symmetry means that an object looks the same after performing a transformation. Consider a perfect sphere with a uniform color. This … Lees verder
The identifiable problem effect
The identifiable victim effect is a cognitive bias (or moral illusion) where an incentive to help someone is higher when the person in need can be identified by the helper. For example, people donate more money to a charity if … Lees verder
My mistakes and failures
To do good in the world, I think it is crucial to learn from mistakes. In the past I made a lot of mistakes and also this website contained (and most likely still contains) mistakes. Here I present an overview … Lees verder
Drie ethische basisprincipes en hun belangrijkste implicaties
Met drie ethische basisprincipes kunnen we zowat elk moreel probleem in kaart brengen en nagaan wat de beste keuzes zijn. Om de drie basisprincipes te verduidelijken, bespreek ik kort de belangrijkste implicaties: antispeciesisme, de welzijnsbevordering van wilde dieren in de … Lees verder
Reducing existential risks or wild animal suffering? Part II: expected value estimate
In a previous article (part I), I wrote about two top priorities for effective altruists who are concerned about far future human and animal welfare: the reduction of existential risks (X-risks) and the reduction of wild animal suffering. Elsewhere, I … Lees verder
Probability estimate for wild animal welfare prioritization
In this article I calculate my subjective probability estimate that the problem of wild animal suffering is the most important cause area in effective altruism. I will use a Fermi estimate to calculate lower and upper bounds of the probability … Lees verder
The three most important new tax proposals
Well-designed government taxes can promote social justice, ecological sustainability and economic productivity. Here I present three most promising tax proposals that I encountered the past few years, during my studies in economic policy. They improve both equality and efficiency (or … Lees verder
