Robert HarlingThe world has changed. So should our approach to doing good.The world we live in today is very different to the world people lived in 300 years ago. We are richer, healthier and more knowledgeable…6 min read·Dec 8, 2022--1--1
Robert HarlingChoosing what to read aboutThere are so many things one can dedicate time to learning about — how on Earth do you choose?5 min read·May 16, 2021--1--1
Robert HarlingThe Problem with School History ExamsThe response to the US election by different people has highlighted a problem I’d call narrative driven arguments. In a narrative driven…3 min read·Nov 8, 2020----
Robert HarlingIntuition, Correlation and EthicsWhat do I mean by a moral theory?4 min read·Nov 7, 2020----
Robert HarlingQuestions and thought-experiments on welfare and happinessWhat means a life goes well? The idea of a life going well is behind the notion of well-being (or welfare). The idea is hopefully…3 min read·Oct 27, 2020----
Robert HarlingSysteWhen trying to choose between two things we can make errors by either using a flawed system to make the decision, or by not applying our…3 min read·Oct 21, 2020----
Robert HarlingCrucial considerations, theories of change and modelsIn effective altruism we want to maximise our positive impact in the world. This means thinking about the impact of our actions on the…3 min read·Oct 17, 2020----
Robert HarlingWhat is counterfactual thinking?Counterfactual thinking is all about asking “what would happen if I didn’t do x?” It is key to evaluating the impact of our actions. The…3 min read·Oct 15, 2020----
Robert HarlingMy ethical intuitionMoral philosophy is of course incredibly complex and many people disagree strongly. I think over time I’m becoming less certain of my own…3 min read·Oct 13, 2020----
Robert HarlingTidying a Room Optimally: Deriving Diminishing ReturnsThis post requires some mathematics (hopefully not too much to make it inaccessible!) so I wrote it in latex and provide a link to the pdf…1 min read·Oct 11, 2020----