Moral Offsetting

Abstract

This paper explores the idea of moral offsetting: the idea that good actions can offset bad actions in a way roughly analogous to carbon offsetting. For example, a meat eater might try to offset their consumption of meat by donating to an animal welfare charity. In this paper, I clarify the idea of moral offsetting, consider whether the leading moral theories and theories of moral worth are consistent with the possibility of moral offsetting, and consider potential benefits of moral offsetting. I also compare moral offsetting to a related practice that I call ‘moral triaging’.

moral offsetting, moral triaging, moral efficiency, altruistic economics