Categorie archief: Artikels
The two intrinsic rights that restrict utilitarianism
Let us start with utilitarianism, the ethical theory that says we have to choose the situation or state of the world that has the highest amount of total utility. Total utility is the sum of individual utilities, summed over all … Lees verder
Van efficiëntie naar effectiviteit (boekbespreking Het Ecologisch Kompas)
Wie vaart er nu nog met een kompas? Die vraag kwam bij me op tijdens het lezen van Het Ecologisch Kompas (Dirk Holemans (red.), Uitgeverij EPO, 2021). Dat boek kunnen we beschouwen als het nieuwe standaardwerk van het transitie-ecologisme of … Lees verder
Willekeurige-rang denkfout
In veel maatschappelijke discussies en persoonlijke keuzes komt een bepaald type denkfout aan bod die weinig aandacht krijgt. De denkfout bestaat erin dat een willekeurige rang wordt gekozen in een hiërarchische indeling. Het feit dat de keuze willekeurig is, is … Lees verder
The problem of possible populations: animal farming, sustainability, extinction and the repugnant conclusion
A personal note Population ethics is terribly difficult. My personal journey started ten years ago with a very simple theory called ‘average utilitarianism’. This theory is simple enough to express in one line: choose the option that maximizes the average … Lees verder
An ethical minefield. Stepping from the worst to the best population ethical theories
About ten years ago, during my studies in moral philosophy, I encountered the area of population ethics. It is clearly one of the most tricky areas in ethics, a minefield of very counterintuitive conclusions. But it is also one of … Lees verder
Cost-effectiveness distributions, power laws and scale invariance
The cost-effectiveness of policies, actions and interventions measures how much good is done (how many lives are saved, greenhouse gases are mitigated, diseases are cured, education levels are improved,…) per dollar investment. Cost-effectiveness is often difficult to measure, but sometimes … Lees verder
Rational altruism and risk aversion
Let’s start with a very hypothetical but tricky dilemma. The importance of this dilemma will become clear at the end. Suppose I give you a choice between two options. If you choose option A, I will save one person. If … Lees verder
Big is beautiful. On the dangers of too much distrust in big institutions and high-tech solutions.
Imagine a covid19 pandemic without big institutions such as governments, tech companies and pharmaceutical companies. We would rely on personal, voluntary behavioral change such as social distancing and washing hands, added with low tech solutions such as face masks. These … Lees verder
De begrensde reddingsboot. Reactie op de boekbespreking van Open Grenzen
Als veganist, atheïst en ecohumanist zit ik vaak op dezelfde lijn met Floris van den Berg. Verschillende van zijn boeken heb ik reeds besproken. Maar hier en daar hebben we meningsverschillen. Iemand met een andere mening geeft ons een mogelijkheid … Lees verder
Clean technology innovation as the most cost-effective climate action
Main takeaways Funding research and development of clean technologies, in particular clean protein and clean energy, is probably the most cost-effective method to avoid dangerous climate change. Clean protein is animal-free protein such as cell-based meat and fermentation-based dairy and … Lees verder
