Probably not, that'd involve me quitting a job that I love (that I don't need the money from) and I also wouldn't have time to work on my own projects, which are my favorite thing to do in the world. Of course I don't really need the money, so I'm sure others' mileage will vary.
Given 200 working days a year for that type of arrangement (assuming down time between contracts) we're talking about $2mm a year. Far less than a well executed startup could net. (And for someone demanding $10k a day, I assume that (s)he'd have a fairly high chance of attaining it.)
Also: Fuck slavery. Nobody has the right to my life. I'll help the poor, but it isn't because I'm responsible for them, it is because I can empathize or sympathize with their condition and the relative cost of helping them is negligible.
You can also improve the lives of those around you by being a happy and fulfilled person. In the end it doesn't really make any sense to treat life as an ethical math equation. There will always be something more you could do for others no matter how much you give away.
It all really boils down to a question of what your preferences are. Do you want to save 9 peoples' lives each day or do you want to have a somewhat more enjoyable work environment?
"There will always be something more you could do for others no matter how much you give away." This argument becomes irrelevant once you boil things down to a question of preferences.
That's why he used the word, "might." Some people wouldn't feel a moral responsibility to pull a toddler back out of the path of a speeding bus; but many people would--and if flyosity is one of the latter, he might appreciate being made aware of the situation and his personal abilities vis-a-vis the pulling.
Well I was more thinking in terms of the discussion at hand - does one have (or, 'might there be') a moral responsibility to change a life's direction (new career) when one can make much more money that can then be used to help others. In that context, I am vehement that there is no such responsibility.
Pull a toddler out of that path of a bus - I'm not sure, I think so, but I'm not sure; I don't have a rational reason for it that can be derived from my moral axioms. I don't care very much either at this point, it's a different discussion I think (or at least a discussion much further down a sliding scale). For the case presented, I do have a strong opinion about, and felt offended at the thought that someone would suggest there is such a responsibility. Which is why I responded.
For what it's worth I also don't believe in morality in enough of a way for you to reasonably get offended. I don't believe in the existence of a responsibility but I believe people often act as if they have such responsibilities anyways. My beliefs are way more meta than my comment indicated which was simplified given the short amount of time I spent writing it and a perceived possible lowest common denominator audience.
Pretend I said "something like a moral responsibility" or "an important intuitive one sense that one action is better than another action". There is no such thing as a moral responsibility.
The two situations are hard to reconcile because your moral axioms are an attempt to make a simple, coherent system starting from your moral intuitions; but your moral intuitions do not actually arise from a simple, coherent system.
In the case presented, the only differences from the toddler's are the time required to save the lives, and the psychological availability of the lives saved.
Unless your moral intuitions and/or moral axioms allow lower levels of responsibility for suffering which is easier to ignore, the "time required" is the only escape.
If you lived in a world where toddlers were perpetually falling under busses in front of you, would you be morally obligated to stay in good physical condition and pay attention to nearby toddlers so you could save more of them? If not, you should be safe from the responsibility to maximize your income and use the surplus to save lives.
That question has no meaning. Morality is not something you can enforce. Morality is a strictly personal matter, and anyone that tells you that you have a moral responsibility to do something is confused. Nobody can tell you what your moral responsibilities are other than yourself.
In this light, the parent post is right. "You might have a moral responsibility" implies that you may feel compelled to do something. The frequent misinterpretation is that you have a responsibility to someone else, which is false. If you feel compelled to carry on a job you hate to save lives, you have a moral responsibility. If you do not feel so compelled, you do not have a moral responsibility. You cannot have a moral responsibility without feeling compelled.
Oh this is very much a contested position (known as 'objective' vs 'relative' morality). If I feel that murdering people with red hair is morally neutral, or positive even, is it so? I posit that it's not - murder is objectively morally wrong, no matter the ideas or feeling of being compelled of anyone.
To phrase it in your terms, I think everybody has a moral responsibility not to murder people, even if they feel compelled to do so.
UI design & development for a small marketing software company. All my friends work here, 20' ceilings, great vibe, foosball, free reign over what I work on, huge windows, I could go on. If I quit then I wouldn't be able to hang out with my friends or geek out at lunch, I'd just be sitting at my house by myself :)
I like how you emphasize huge windows. A lot of people I've worked and am studying with don't seem to value natural light much. In fact, many hurry to close the blinds only to turn on artificial lighting on. Why???! I personally find large open windows very inspiring and conducive to work, and generally feel lethargic and depressed if the sky is overcast (this is partly to blame for moving out of Vancouver).
close the blinds only to turn on artificial lighting on. Why???!
Generally, I don't do this, I like natural lighting when appropriate, but I will do exactly that if the sun is creating glare on the screen I am working with, or if I am facing straight into the sun. Similarly, I would do it if I am dealing with sensitive data.
I spent a Spring/Summer working in an open floor office with floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over San Mateo and SF Bay. Man, that was a productive time, 75F and sunny just always puts me in a good mood. I love having a view as well, to inspire the mind.
