I'm Out of Work

Effective Altruism

  • Emphasizes the strategic approach to career choices for maximizing positive impact.

  • The author argues that one’s career can be a vehicle for positive change, supporting this notion throughout the text.

Key Quotes from Doing Good Better

  • “Your choice of career is a choice about how to spend more than eighty thousand hours over the course of your life…” (MacAskill 147)

    • Suggests that lengthy time commitment should be guided by a purpose of maximizing positive impact.

  • “In order to use your career to make a difference, one rule of thumb is to work on a particularly important cause” (MacAskill 178)

    • Directly links career choice to significant social causes, reinforcing the need for alignment with impactful priorities.

  • Networking is also emphasized as a means to keep options open for future opportunities.

Rights Theory

  • Focuses on understanding and upholding diverse sets of ind' rights affected by predatory practices.

Affected Parties

  • Financially Vulnerable:

    • Rights of exploited individuals are violated through deception and manipulation.

  • Your Family:

    • Your family’s right to financial stability is threatened by unemployment; taking the job could secure this right.

  • Your Own Rights:

    • The right to pursue meaningful opportunities and act on personal values.

Hierarchy of Rights

  • Conflicts between rights must be resolved; it’s suggested that:

    • Family financial stability (derivative rights) take precedence but must not override the basic rights of others.

    • Your right to employment does not justify actions violating others’ rights.

    • Engaging in exploitation could compromise moral integrity and autonomy.

Conclusion from Rights Theory

  • Accepting a role in a predatory industry is ethically wrong due to the rights violations it entails.

Stoicism

  • Advocates for living virtuously, treating all with fairness and justice.

Key Considerations

  • Sphere of Control:

    • You control the decision to accept or decline a job, despite external pressures.

  • Consequences:

    • Financial implications for family versus moral integrity; exploitation may lead to guilt and shame.

Aristotelian Perspective

  • Virtue is positioned as a balance between excess and deficiency, requiring deliberation.

Need for Deliberation

  • Balancing immediate financial gains against the moral implications of joining a predatory system.

  • Wisdom in Seeking Alternatives:

    • It’s important to evaluate job options that align with ethical principles.

    • Discusses the notion of potential managerial roles but acknowledges barriers for others in securing such positions.