Dr. Bloom — Wokeness and Effective Altruism

Paul Bloom's article examines tensions between the wokeness and effective altruism movements. I think these debates are actually pretty timeless—historical precedent shows groups have argued opposing viewpoints for centuries, each presenting valuable insights alongside problematic extremes.

Moral philosophy examples illustrate the point well. Utilitarianism taken to its logical extreme might justify pushing an innocent person off a bridge to save others. Conversely, strict deontological ethics might refuse to pull a lever preventing five deaths simply to avoid direct involvement. Rational people should extract wisdom from both frameworks without adopting their most troubling conclusions.

This pattern extends beyond trolley problems. Historical clashes between nihilism and existentialism, rationalism and empiricism, or deism and humanism all produced valuable insights despite disagreement.

Contemporary ideological divisions will likely follow the same trajectory. Future generations will recognize both the contributions and limitations of current positions. The right approach is understanding why you gravitate toward particular viewpoints, determining where those positions remain most beneficial to yourself and to society broadly, and staying open to lessons from opposing perspectives.