Making Sense with Sam Harris #198 — A Conversation with Paul Bloom
Apr 16, 2020
Paul Bloom, a Yale psychology professor, dives into the complex relationship between the economy and public health during the pandemic. He explores the ethics of valuing human life and the moral dilemmas faced in lockdown decisions. Their conversation touches on how Covid-19 may shift societal norms and behaviors, especially regarding education and social interactions. Bloom also reflects on children's resilience amidst disruption and the psychological impacts of collective trauma, emphasizing the importance of community support.
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Moral Arithmetic of Life and Death
- Accepting statistical deaths for normalcy differs morally from condoning explicit human sacrifice.
- Our moral intuition struggles to reconcile large-scale statistical risks with individual, identifiable lives.
Misleading COVID-19 Comparisons
- Rudy Giuliani downplayed COVID-19 deaths by comparing them to flu statistics, which would be inappropriate after 9/11.
- Others wrongly claim low COVID-19 deaths mean overreaction, ignoring quarantine's impact.
The Speed Limit Paradox
- Societal speed limits implicitly accept a level of preventable deaths for convenience and freedom.
- Making this trade-off explicit, like signing waivers acknowledging risk, would be morally challenging.