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Ariel Pontes
Ariel Pontes

295 Followers

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Jul 29, 2022

On body shaming

Why we shouldn’t impose our preferences on others — A few weeks ago, George Buhnici, a Romanian blogger and podcaster I had never heard of, went viral after making some pretty nasty remarks towards women during an interview at the beach. Some of the most controversial comments were the following: We come to the seaside to see skin, and…

Body Shaming

12 min read

On body shaming
On body shaming
Body Shaming

12 min read


Published in Science and Philosophy

·Nov 10, 2021

Is it permissible to eat meat?

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…

Philosophy

14 min read

Is it permissible to eat meat?
Is it permissible to eat meat?
Philosophy

14 min read


Aug 2, 2021

Moral offsetting

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…

Philosophy

13 min read

Moral offsetting
Moral offsetting
Philosophy

13 min read


Aug 1, 2021

My last free article?

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…

3 min read

My last free article?
My last free article?

3 min read


Published in Humanist Voices

·Apr 24, 2021

Who decides what’s transphobic?

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…

Atheism

26 min read

Who decides what’s transphobic?
Who decides what’s transphobic?
Atheism

26 min read


Published in Humanist Voices

·Apr 11, 2021

Ten values we can all live by

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…

Philosophy

20 min read

Ten values we can all live by
Ten values we can all live by
Philosophy

20 min read


Published in Humanist Voices

·Feb 14, 2021

Moral illusions

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…

Philosophy

17 min read

Moral illusions
Moral illusions
Philosophy

17 min read


Published in Humanist Voices

·Feb 1, 2021

Natural rights and moral desert

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…

Philosophy

7 min read

Natural rights and moral desert
Natural rights and moral desert
Philosophy

7 min read


Published in Humanist Voices

·Jan 17, 2021

A forgiving utilitarianism

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…

Philosophy

9 min read

A forgiving utilitarianism
A forgiving utilitarianism
Philosophy

9 min read


Published in Humanist Voices

·Jan 12, 2021

Utilitarianism is not unfair

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…

Ethics

11 min read

Utilitarianism is not unfair
Utilitarianism is not unfair
Ethics

11 min read

Ariel Pontes

Ariel Pontes

295 Followers

Philosophy, science, secular humanism, effective altruism. ghostlessmachine.com

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