My claim is the modest and surely uncontroversial one that JoshuaZ’s “random African” is a better guardian of his own welfare than you, or Bill Gates, or a random do-gooder.
People like Bill Gates aren’t “random do-gooders”. I’d not it find it strange that in the counterfactual that Bill Gates had the time to guard my own welfare (let alone some random African’s), he might do a better job at it than I would myself. Certainly he might provide useful tips about how to invest my money for example, might know ways that I’ve not even heard of.
People like Bill Gates aren’t “random do-gooders”.
Bill Gates was a software executive who got into malaria prevention and education reform and poverty reduction and God knows what else, not because of his deep knowledge and expertise in those subjects, but a generalised wish to become a philanthropist. He’s the very archetype of a random do-gooder.
I’d not it find it strange that in the counterfactual that Bill Gates had the time to guard my own welfare (let alone some random African’s), he might do a better job at it than I would myself.
But the whole point is that he doesn’t have the time (or knowledge, or inclination, or incentives, or …) to guard your welfare—or that of a “random African”. Sure, if Bill Gates was my father he might be a better guardian of my welfare than I am. But he ain’t.
My point is that the qualification “random” is rather silly when applied to one of the most wealthy people in the world. That he achieved that wealth (most of which he did not inherit) implies some skills and intelligence most likely beyond that of a randomly selected do-gooder.
An actually randomly-selected do-gooder would probably be more like a middle-class individual who walks to a soup-kitchen and offers to volunteer, or who donates money to UNICEF.
People like Bill Gates aren’t “random do-gooders”. I’d not it find it strange that in the counterfactual that Bill Gates had the time to guard my own welfare (let alone some random African’s), he might do a better job at it than I would myself. Certainly he might provide useful tips about how to invest my money for example, might know ways that I’ve not even heard of.
Bill Gates was a software executive who got into malaria prevention and education reform and poverty reduction and God knows what else, not because of his deep knowledge and expertise in those subjects, but a generalised wish to become a philanthropist. He’s the very archetype of a random do-gooder.
But the whole point is that he doesn’t have the time (or knowledge, or inclination, or incentives, or …) to guard your welfare—or that of a “random African”. Sure, if Bill Gates was my father he might be a better guardian of my welfare than I am. But he ain’t.
My point is that the qualification “random” is rather silly when applied to one of the most wealthy people in the world. That he achieved that wealth (most of which he did not inherit) implies some skills and intelligence most likely beyond that of a randomly selected do-gooder.
An actually randomly-selected do-gooder would probably be more like a middle-class individual who walks to a soup-kitchen and offers to volunteer, or who donates money to UNICEF.