The moral circle is not a circle

Abstract

Much EA discussion assumes an “expanding moral circle” with certain properties. Echoing certain observations of Gwern, I claim this notion has to be reconceptualized significantly. Upshot is, moral circle expansion (MCE) is not simply a matter of getting people to care more about minds that are “far away” or “different” from them, but instead involves challenging several different dimensions on which people form moral beliefs.