In 'Emergence and Incremental Impact', I argued (contra Kingston and Sinnott-Armstrong) that emergent properties do nothing to undermine the basic case for individual impact: they're just another kind of threshold case, and thresholds are compatible with difference-making increments.| Philosophy, et cetera
In 'Against Longtermism', Eric Schwitzgebel writes: "I accept much of Ord's practical advice. I object only to justifying this caution by appeal to expectations about events a million years from now." He offers four objections, which are interesting and well worth considering, but I think ultimately unpersuasive. Let's consider them in turn.| Philosophy, et cetera
If you make a promise (and haven't been released from it), then you're obliged to keep your promise. The obligation is, in a sense, conditional. Note that you've no moral reason to go around making extra promises just so that you can keep them. Keeping promises isn't a good to be promoted in this way. (We might instead think that keeping a promise is neutral, while breaking one is bad.)| Philosophy, et cetera
This is terrible journalism:While [donating $1 billion to protect forests] is certainly notable, Bezos’s commitment to protecting the environment serves as a stark reminder that much of his legacy and largely untaxed fortune was built by companies that have staggering carbon footprints. Amazon’s carbon emissions have grown every year since 2018, and last year alone, when global carbon emissions fell roughly 7 percent, Amazon’s carbon emissions grew 19 percent.| Philosophy, et cetera