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[ACC] When During Fetal Development Does Abortion Become Morally Wrong?
Two authors debate when abortion becomes morally wrong, presenting arguments for conception vs. fetal viability as the ethical cutoff point.
35 min read 5,387 words
A thread through the archive
ethics
Essays tagged “ethics”. Follow an idea across the archive.
Essays on ethics
52 essaysSSC
Correction To Circumcision ACC
Scott Alexander apologizes for changing an essay title about circumcision, which caused confusion about its content, and asks readers to consider the original title when voting.
1 min read 122 words
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2019 Adversarial Collaboration Entries
Scott Alexander presents the eight entries for the 2019 Adversarial Collaboration Contest, explaining the concept and announcing a future reader vote.
3 min read 384 words
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[PARTIALLY RETRACTED] Cortical Neuron Number Matches Intuitive Perceptions Of Moral Value Across Animals
Scott Alexander finds a correlation between animals' cortical neuron count and people's intuitive perception of their moral value, based on a small survey.
6 min read 874 words
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The Economic Perspective On Moral Standards
Scott Alexander compares setting moral standards to economic price-setting, arguing that more achievable standards might lead to better outcomes than unattainably high ones.
20 min read 3,028 words
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The Dark Rule Utilitarian Argument For Science Piracy
Scott Alexander explores the ethics of using Sci-Hub, introducing 'Dark Rule Utilitarianism' to argue that pirating scientific papers could be ethical despite being illegal.
11 min read 1,596 words
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The Lizard People Of Alpha Draconis 1 Decided To Build An Ansible
Fiction by Scott Alexander
11 min read 1,655 words
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Is It Possible To Have Coherent Principles Around Free Speech Norms?
Scott Alexander examines the difficulties in creating consistent free speech norms beyond legal protections, proposing guidelines and emphasizing the role of community consensus.
17 min read 2,556 words
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Survey Results: Suffering Vs. Oblivion
Scott Alexander surveys people's preferences between suffering and oblivion, finding split opinions and weak correlations between different scenarios and real-world beliefs.
8 min read 1,091 words
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Skin In The Game
Scott Alexander examines the ethics of sympathy for workers in difficult professions, exploring the tension between economic incentives and personal experiences in shaping our views on labor issues.
25 min read 3,856 words
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Be Nice, At Least Until You Can Coordinate Meanness
Scott Alexander proposes the principle 'be nice, at least until you can coordinate meanness' and applies it to ethical dilemmas and blog moderation.
15 min read 2,228 words
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Extremism In Thought Experiment Is No Vice
Scott Alexander defends the use of extreme thought experiments in moral philosophy, using Phil Robertson's controversial remarks as an example to explain their necessity and purpose.
15 min read 2,226 words
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Bottomless Pits Of Suffering
Scott Alexander explores the challenges of utilitarianism when confronted with hidden or distant suffering, using examples like nursing homes and prisons to illustrate the ethical dilemma.
8 min read 1,144 words
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Nobody Likes A Tattletale
Scott Alexander explores the ethics of tattling and promise-keeping, arguing for the importance of trustworthy promises even when they conflict with moral imperatives.
13 min read 1,899 words
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Beware Isolated Demands For Rigor
Scott Alexander explores the concept of 'isolated demands for rigor' across philosophy, politics, and science, criticizing the selective application of rigorous standards.
18 min read 2,716 words
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Ground Morality In Party Politics
Scott proposes adapting DW-Nominate, a political spectrum analysis tool, to study morality through real-life decisions, exploring its potential implications and limitations.
12 min read 1,803 words
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Asches to Asches
A person repeatedly wakes up in a Matrix-like pod, being told different versions of reality about the concept of 'family' in a series of nested scenarios, ultimately revealed to be an alien experiment.
18 min read 2,790 words
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You Kant Dismiss Universalizability
Scott Alexander reevaluates Kant's philosophy of universalizability, applying it to modern ethical dilemmas and exploring its relationship with utilitarianism.
19 min read 2,851 words
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Infinite Debt
Scott Alexander examines the concept of infinite debts in personal and societal contexts, proposing a practical approach of paying manageable 'interest' rather than attempting full repayment.
12 min read 1,834 words
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In Favor of Niceness, Community, and Civilization
Scott Alexander argues against using dishonest and harmful tactics in pursuit of social or political goals, defending the power of truthfulness, kindness, and liberalism.
43 min read 6,535 words
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Giving and Accepting Apologies
Scott Alexander explores the nuances of apologies, their meanings, and societal implications, using personal and political examples to illustrate the complexities involved.
20 min read 3,033 words
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Fermat’s Last Stand: Soundtrack and Adventure Log
Scott describes a philosophical role-playing game adventure called 'Fermat's Last Stand', featuring puzzles, debates, and original songs.
49 min read 7,587 words
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The Virtue of Silence
Scott Alexander explores the ethical implications of publicly debating medical confidentiality breaches, introducing the concept of the 'Virtue of Silence' as a potential solution.
8 min read 1,227 words
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Fetal Attraction: Abortion and the Principle of Charity
Scott Alexander argues that claims about pro-lifers secretly wanting to oppress women are uncharitable and likely false, and that we should engage with actual philosophical disagreements on abortion.
32 min read 4,918 words
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Newtonian Ethics
Scott satirically proposes and 'proves' that morality is a form of gravity, using pseudo-scientific reasoning and calculations.
7 min read 1,078 words