In Rhys Southan’s essay, “Is Art a Waste of Time,” we learned about Effective Altruists (EAs), whose central goal is to reduce suffering and increase the lifespan and happiness of people (and animals) around the world. According to Southan, EAs believe in replaceability, which he described as the following:
“The idea is that the only good that counts is what you accomplish over and above what the next person would have done in your place. In equation form, Your Apparent Good Achieved minus Good Your Counterfactual Replacement would have achieved equals Your Actual Good Achieved” (365).
Prompt:
The idea of living an ethical life is appealing, but complex – how do we achieve that goal? Is using this EA doctrine the best way to ensure a person lives an ethical life? Construct an essay that responds to this question by supporting (agreeing with) the EA doctrine, refuting (disagreeing with) the EA doctrine, or complicating (agreeing with some elements and disagreeing with others) the EA doctrine, drawing evidence and examples from at least two (2) other works, in addition to Southan’s, below.
*Suggested works to choose from:
- “The Animals: Practicing Complexity” by Michael Pollan
- “Consider the Lobster” by David Foster Wallace
- “Necessary Edges: Arts, Empathy, and Education” by Yo-Yo Ma
- “AIDS, Inc.” by Helen Epstein
- How to Survive a Plague (movie)
- “Small Change” by Malcolm Gladwell
- “The War Photo No One Would Publish” by Torie Rose Deghett
- “Changing Our Genes: How Trauma, Bullying, and Royal Jelly Alter Our Genetic Destiny” by Sharon Moalem
- “Being WEIRD: How Culture Shapes the Mind” Ethan Watters
- “Preface” and “The New Civil Rights” by Kenji Yoshino
*Note that we have not yet read/watched all these works, but we will by the end of the semester. You can also choose any other text we have read throughout the course of this semester in your essay as a source, however, I’d highly recommend that you email me with the article you wish to use and a general idea of how you intend to use it, so I can confirm it is an appropriate source for your essay.
Important notes:
- Your thesis should examine the EA’s formula for living an ethical life, and explain whether and why this is (or is not) the best way to live ethically
- Your body paragraphs should include examples, including summaries and quotes, from at least two of the articles above, in addition to “Is Art a Waste of Time?”
- Your body paragraphs should analyze the strategies the authors used in their pieces, and how these strategies help to explain their own ideas about living ethically
- Your body paragraphs should synthesize at least 2 authors, and should not be organized by author
Requirements:
- Style: Your essay must be typed, using a 12-point font, should have standard 1-inch margins, and must conform to MLA style
- Length: 5-6 pages
Important dates:
APA
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