When Einstein Walked with Gödel: Excursions to the Edge of Thought

by Jim Holt

Singer is an avowed utilitarian. In its purest form, utilitarianism says that we should seek to act in a way that brings about the greatest happiness in the world. Now, one test of an ethical principle is that it be “universalizable.” We ask what the world would be like if everybody acted on this principle. What if everyone devoted himself to the happiness of others? Then, on average, everyone would be less happy, because everyone would be subordinating his own happiness to the needs of others. And if everyone gave all his money to Oxfam, the resulting contraction in consumer demand would cause the world economy to collapse, leading to enormous suffering. So these principles of doing good, you might think, are collectively self-defeating.