Author: jamesaitchison

Researching Philosophy and Ideas. On a quest to understand Metaethics, Utilitarianism and Effective Altruism.

How Best to Subdivide Philosophical Ethics

Philosophical Ethics is commonly divided into three areas: Normative Ethics, Metaethics and Applied Ethics. I suggest adding a fourth area – Particular Decisions – and being explicit that each area covers practical reason generally rather than just morality.

Susan Blackmore. Consciousness: A Very Short Introduction (2017)

‘Delusionism is the best explanation for scientific discoveries and reflections about consciousness. My sense of being a conscious self is constructed when I probe by asking if I am conscious, while at other times my brain and experience reflect parallel processing. It is a delusion to think I have a unified conscious stream, a detailed visual field, a self or free will.’ My Notes on the Book

Jonathan Haidt. The Happiness Hypothesis: Putting Ancient Wisdom and Philosophy to the Test of Modern Science (2006)

‘Psychological findings provide a distinctive picture of human nature which can be compared with ancient wisdom and used to provide guidance on how to live. Conscious reasoning is like a rider on the elephant of the unconscious mind. Happiness can come from creating good relationships with love, work and something larger, but can only be achieved by training the elephant.’ My Notes on the Book

Hand Luggage Only Travel

I have discovered the joys of travelling light. My tips for travelling with only hand luggage.

Three Problems of Free Will

‘I find it helpful to see the issue of free will as involving not one problem but three’ A short essay arguing that two traditional problems of free will can be dismissed and the third is only true in part.

Daniel Kahneman: Thinking, Fast and Slow (2011)

‘We have two modes of thinking: System 1 that is quick, automatic and unconscious, and System 2 that is slow, effortful and under conscious control. The operation of System 1 leads to systematic biases that System 2 is commonly too inattentive to correct.’ My notes on the book.

Alastair Norcross. Morality By Degrees: Reasons Without Demands (2020)

‘At a fundamental level, consequentialist ethical theories just make judgements about the degree to which states of the world and actions are better than alternatives. Yet on to consequentialism we graft deontological concepts such as ‘right’ and end up with weird views such as that it is wrong to give less than everything to charity. Consequentialism should be seen as a radical approach, to be applied and judged on its own terms.’

J. L. Mackie. Ethics: Inventing Right and Wrong (1977)

‘Morality is not objective – it does not have an independent existence. As objectivity is fundamental to moral concepts, all morality is in error. We should create a non-objective morality, as a refined version of existing morality.’ My notes recording the contents of the book, see a separate post for my comments on the book.

Mackie’s Ethics: Right and Wrong

John Mackie’s 1977 book ‘Ethics: Inventing Right and Wrong’ strongly influenced my views on ethics, mainly from my reactions against it. I analyse where I think Mackie got it wrong and how my current perspective incorporates ideas from the book. See a separate post for my notes recording the book’s contents.

Why I Am A Naturalist

‘I am a naturalist. I believe that everything can be understood purely as relating to the natural world and that there is nothing supernatural.’ A short essay arguing for naturalism and exploring its significance.

Bertrand Russell. Autobiography (1969)

‘Bertrand Russell’s life was fascinating and inspiring, but what makes the autobiography great is the quality of the writing. Russell’s writing voice is exceptional: clear, easy, rhythmic and engaging, with a distinctive gentle humour. The autobiography shows Russell’s writing at its delightful best.’ My notes on the book.

William MacAskill. What We Owe The Future: A Million Year View (2022)

‘Longtermism is the view that positively influencing the future is a key moral priority of our time. Future people count, there could be a lot of them, and we can make their lives go better. We should both try to ensure survival and to improve future lives. We are at a time of plasticity where moral progress is possible before values become locked-in.’ My notes on the book.

What We Owe The Future: Media List

There is much fine material from Will MacAskill promoting ‘What We Owe The Future.’ My links to 21 podcasts, 32 articles and 8 other items, updated 20 September 2022.

Yes, We Can Reason About Ends

Can we reason about ends? Of course we can, we do it all the time. Only philosophical confusions have made us think otherwise.

A Problem with Motivation

Effective altruism should recognise that motivation comes more reliably from following norms and law than from willpower. A post on the EA Forum.