I think you are taking the long way to say strong institutions are primary. Institutions are a key embodiment of the cultural layer and a nexus of cultural learning. It's cultural surplus which has done the most for spreading abundance and much of that is institutions: legal systems, financial systems, universities, business conglomerates, churches. Upkeep is incredibly high on all of those and deterioration is painful.
Three issues with EA follow: first, a bunch of smart people are min-maxing marginal returns around the globe instead of maintaining institutions. Second, institutional issue is troubled areas are neglected because good luck calculating efficacy. Third, focus on individuals and aggregating lives saved misses the complexity of interplay between them. EA is operating on the wrong level.
Obviously I'm concretizing the heavily abstracted view presented, but really at it's core we have an ethical argument for institutionalism. I'm on board with a subsidiarity and institution centric ethic. John Verveake did a recent discussion where he mused that if he were to become a Christian he'd be Eastern Orthodox. I'm not surprised, but find it hilarious that cognitive science often just rediscovers traditionalism. It makes sense if you think traditional culture is well adopted to our human relationship with the environment my and each other. This discussion has the same feel.
I think you are taking the long way to say strong institutions are primary. Institutions are a key embodiment of the cultural layer and a nexus of cultural learning. It's cultural surplus which has done the most for spreading abundance and much of that is institutions: legal systems, financial systems, universities, business conglomerates, churches. Upkeep is incredibly high on all of those and deterioration is painful.
Three issues with EA follow: first, a bunch of smart people are min-maxing marginal returns around the globe instead of maintaining institutions. Second, institutional issue is troubled areas are neglected because good luck calculating efficacy. Third, focus on individuals and aggregating lives saved misses the complexity of interplay between them. EA is operating on the wrong level.
Obviously I'm concretizing the heavily abstracted view presented, but really at it's core we have an ethical argument for institutionalism. I'm on board with a subsidiarity and institution centric ethic. John Verveake did a recent discussion where he mused that if he were to become a Christian he'd be Eastern Orthodox. I'm not surprised, but find it hilarious that cognitive science often just rediscovers traditionalism. It makes sense if you think traditional culture is well adopted to our human relationship with the environment my and each other. This discussion has the same feel.