How Democratic Is Effective Altruism — Really?
bobjacobs.substack.com
A closer look at how reputation, funding, and influence shape EA discourse

Might unilateral billionaire funding skew priorities?

Should the “epistemically humble” listen to people who disagree with them?

Might it be undemocratic to give some people many times more voting power?

Find out this week on ‘Keeping up with the Effective Altruists’

  • gerikson@awful.systemsEnglish
    13·
    5 days ago

    “I no longer believe that effective altruism and democracy are compatible”.

    Anywhoo, did not know the scaling of voting power to karma before. Interesting.

  • fnix@awful.systemsEnglish
    9·
    5 days ago

    Wow, the term ‘epistemically humble’ is ingenious really. I don’t have to listen to any critics at all, not because I’m a narcissist, oh no, but because I’m so ‘epistemically humble’ no one could possibly have anything left to teach me!

    • owl@infosec.pubEnglish
      2·
      4 days ago

      Can you explain it to me? I found epistemology is the study of knowledge. So 'epistemically humble’ means they are humble according to our understanding of knowledge? Probably not.

      • maol@awful.systemsEnglish
        5·
        3 days ago

        I think they’re claiming that they are aware of the potential issues in how knowledge is produced (bias, unconscious or not)…but they think that they are uniquely humble and aware of all the issues, they certainly aren’t influenced by ideology, and they aren’t susceptible to the same logical fallacies as everyone else.