Utopian Altruism Retrospective

I turned 17 yesterday. Honestly, my birthday felt about as unremarkable as I thought it would feel (not to be a pessimist). Don’t mistake me. It was an enjoyable day, but without a materialistic desire for gifts or the same euphoric outlook of my younger self, I couldn’t feel as ecstatic as I would have been several years ago. My lack of enthusiasm toward my birthday prompted me to reflect on the course of my life. Roughly one-fifth of the way through life, I was apprehensive about how effectively I had spent my childhood and how best to move forward. It’s detrimental to neglect gratitude, so I concluded that I’m satisfied with my childhood years. There were many highs and lows, but I’m proud of my phenomenal growth as a person. I may not be a child prodigy lavished with accolades, but I developed many skills that could reward me if I become an ambitious person. And if I decide to take it easy, that’s also fine. Most people view 17 years of age as young but perceive it as old because it constitutes my entire life, wherein I’ve grown drastically. However, when I shift perspectives, one-fifth is a small fraction of life. One-fifth of the way through One Piece’s current chapter count the Strawhats had just left Alabasta. Some people reform their life after doing 17 years in prison. I actually have much ahead of me.

The only problem is that I don’t know how to answer the question of existentialism. In April last year, I thought I cleverly solved this prominent issue that has bewildered brilliant philosophers for centuries. Yet the longer I scrutinized my ostensible solution, utopian altruism, the more uncertain I became. I have to accept that I may never be able to answer the question of existentialism, but that doesn’t prevent me from sharing my latest existential insights.

In my article, I remind everyone that the question has no definitive answer. I also posit that mortality must be premised on emotions and human intelligence. I avoid a contradiction by clarifying that my beliefs are a statement of how the world ought to operate to achieve maximum prosperity. So good so far past Adit. Later in the article, I found six weaknesses in my arguments:

1. Altruism prioritizes the happiness of others but is this effective? Although countless aspects of human altruism require further study, existing studies establish that altruism is linked to human happiness. Intuitively, it promotes positive social behaviors like friendship and family bonding that bolster human support networks. My initial beliefs hold.

2. How can one decide what actions improve happiness? Happiness–both as a philosophical concept and a scientific phenomenon–has yet to be thoroughly understood. This assumption relies on human shrewdness and logically becomes more valid over time. Admittedly, this is the case with all moral decisions. Therefore, my initial beliefs hold.

3. Shouldn’t a more intimate view of human life be espoused? I am a proponent of optimistic nihilism and individualism. Viewing humans as a blob of utility or happiness is remiss. Each person lives a life meaningful to them and the people who love them. Straying from this inherent focus on the individual is catastrophic for mental health and subsequently catastrophic to happiness, our proxy for human prosperity (see studies on comparison culture and work culture. Consideration for individuals is a simple clarification that is already consistent with utopian altruism. I already address the need to care for minorities. My initial beliefs hold.

4. Why pursue a theoretical utopia instead of gradually renovating society? This is a framing issue. Pursuing theoretical goals is less efficacious than pursuing realistic goals. In fact, pursuing realistic goals (as opposed to “utopia”) would likely be more effective in reaching utopia, assuming it were possible. My initial beliefs do not hold but can be easily modified.

5. If creating greater happiness is intrinsically preferable, shouldn’t I be ambitious instead of merely enjoying life? Yes…and no. The notion that we must accomplish more is hyperrealistic propaganda. While ambition may lead someone to leave a greater impact on society, the inculcation that there is a choice between happiness and ambition is self-destructive. Paradoxically, an excessive fixation on utopian altruism can hinder one’s altruistic endeavors. Working hard and hustling are two different concepts. Ambition and happiness are not mutually exclusive. Remember that. My initial beliefs hold but require an addendum.

6. How does altruistic calculus work? Altruistic calculus is similar to the dogma of effective altruism (I coined altruistic calculus before learning about the movement). Essentially, altruistic calculus is a method of determining the societal well-being a decision induces. As a nonobjective tool, altruistic calculus demands critical thinking skills from its applicant. With this caveat in mind, my initial beliefs hold. I’m also delighted to know that an entire organization has propagated similar beliefs for years.

Overall, Utopian Altruism remains a phenomenal philosophy, albeit with some changes. I’m happy to correct my past mistakes and see how much I’ve grown as a person in under a year, in part due to this blog. That said, I should disclose that there never will be an answer to existentialism. Existentialism is such a metaphysically deep construct that any argument regarding it finds itself in subjectivity. I hold happiness above all else. This may seem rational because happiness is the most pleasant emotion we can experience, but therein lies the assumption. We ponder existentialism according to the function of our sensory system. Perhaps it is rational for some species in the universe to cause pain to others according to their sense of happiness. However, we can only do the best with what we have. If someone were to assert that they disagreed with utopian altruism, because they enjoyed being egotistic, I couldn’t do much. I can’t change someone’s preference, no matter how logical utopian altruism is. Existentialism has no answer, but I’m happy to know that we can find subjective answers for ourselves.