A pragmatic approach to moral permissibility — In moral philosophy, it is usually said that something innocuous, such as eating french-fries, is morally permissible, and that something very harmful, such as burning children alive, is impermissible. Something is called a moral obligation when we think it is impermissible not to do it, such as for example helping…

Can money cancel out meat consumption? — Imagine there’s a non-profit that claims to offset the meat, dairy, and eggs consumption of one average omnivore for X dollars per month. In other words, the amount of suffering that they manage to prevent with those X dollars every month is exactly the same as the amount of suffering…

An experiment in monetization — I’ve always liked the idea or making my articles available for everybody for free, and I will always do my best to make sure that nobody loses access to them for lack of money. I started blogging so many years ago because I thought there were too many harmful ideas…

How free speech and open dialogue can help minorities — ⚠️ If you are or know a trans person who disagrees with my arguments and would be open to discussing this topic in a podcast, feel free to contact me. [Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the…

How insights from different moral philosophies can help us find common ground — Should we tax the wealthy to help the poor? Should we try to eat less meat? Should abortion be legal? These are all questions that ultimately boil down to ethics. Moral philosophers have proposed different methods for answering them, but none seem to satisfy everyone. One of the most intuitive…

Why disagreements don’t prove morality is relative — This is the ninth of a series of articles defending a compatibilist interpretation of utilitarianism, which can be reconciled with all major moral theories. In the previous article, I explain why the concepts of rights and moral desert are only valuable insofar as they contribute to a happier society. If…

Why we should avoid unverifiable moral claims — This is the eighth of a series of articles defending a compatibilist interpretation of utilitarianism, which can be reconciled with all major moral theories. In the previous article, I explain why utilitarianism is not as demanding as it may seem. Logical positivism was a philosophical movement that attempted to approach…

Why utilitarianism is not as demanding as you may think — This is the seventh of a series of articles defending a compatibilist interpretation of utilitarianism, which can be reconciled with all major moral theories. In the previous article, I explain why utilitarianism doesn’t justify extreme injustice and inequality. Utilitarianism is the intuitive moral philosophy that promotes the greatest happiness for…

Why exploiting minorities is not utilitarian — This is the sixth of a series of articles defending a compatibilist interpretation of utilitarianism, which can be reconciled with all major moral theories. In the previous article, I explain why some types of suffering deserve more attention than others. Utilitarianism is the moral philosophy that promotes the greatest happiness…