I think that’s true, but also pretty much the same as what many or most veg or reducetarian EAs did when they decided what diet to follow (and other non-food animal products to avoid), including what exceptions to allow. If the consideration of why not to murder counts as involving math, so does veganism for many or most EAs, contrary to Zvi’s claim. Maybe some considered too few options or possible exceptions ahead of time, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t do any math.
This is also basically how I imagine rule consequentialism to work: you decide what rules to follow ahead of time, including prespecified exceptions, based on math. And then you follow the rules. You don’t redo the math for each somewhat unique decision you might face, except possibly very big infrequent decisions, like your career or big donations. You don’t change your rule or make a new exception right in the situation where the rule would apply, e.g. a vegan at a restaurant, someone’s house or a grocery store. If you change or break your rules too easily, you undermine your own ability to follow rules you set for yourself.
But also, EA is compatible with the impermissibility of instrumental harm regardless of how the math turns out (although I have almost no sympathy for absolutist deontological views). AFAIK, deontologists, including absolutist deontologists, can defend killing in self-defense without math and also think it’s better to do more good than less, all else equal.
I think that’s true, but also pretty much the same as what many or most veg or reducetarian EAs did when they decided what diet to follow (and other non-food animal products to avoid), including what exceptions to allow. If the consideration of why not to murder counts as involving math, so does veganism for many or most EAs, contrary to Zvi’s claim. Maybe some considered too few options or possible exceptions ahead of time, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t do any math.
This is also basically how I imagine rule consequentialism to work: you decide what rules to follow ahead of time, including prespecified exceptions, based on math. And then you follow the rules. You don’t redo the math for each somewhat unique decision you might face, except possibly very big infrequent decisions, like your career or big donations. You don’t change your rule or make a new exception right in the situation where the rule would apply, e.g. a vegan at a restaurant, someone’s house or a grocery store. If you change or break your rules too easily, you undermine your own ability to follow rules you set for yourself.
But also, EA is compatible with the impermissibility of instrumental harm regardless of how the math turns out (although I have almost no sympathy for absolutist deontological views). AFAIK, deontologists, including absolutist deontologists, can defend killing in self-defense without math and also think it’s better to do more good than less, all else equal.