The Most Good We Can Do or the Best Person We Can Be?. Issue 2 (3rd May 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bourban, Michel; Broussois, Lisa
• Is Part Of: Ethics, policy & environment. Volume 23:Issue 2(2020)
• Page Start: 159
• Page End: 179
• Publication Date: 2020-05-03
• Subjects: Effective altruism -- Hutcheson -- moral sense -- benevolence -- climate change -- ethics of offsetting -- ethics of geoengineering; Environmental ethics -- Periodicals; Environmental policy -- Periodicals; 179.1
• DOI: 10.1080/21550085.2020.1848175
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2155-0085

Abstract

ABSTRACT: We challenge effective altruism (EA) on the basis that it should be more inclusive regarding the demands of altruism. EA should consider carefully agents' intentions and the role those intentions can play in agents' moral lives. Although we argue that good intentions play an instrumental role and can lead to better results, by adopting a Hutchesonian perspective, we show that intentions should, first and foremost, be considered for their intrinsic value. We examine offsetting and geoengineering, two so-called solutions to climate change supported by EA, to highlight the limitations of a narrow understanding of altruism.