This framework evaluates moral culpability, not total harm. A conscript causes more harm than a CEO, but bears less responsibility. We measure your agency, alternatives, and the severity of what you're participating in.
X-axis: Responsibility Index (agency, alternatives, power) • Y-axis: Moral Impact Index
Note: On the Y-axis, negative values = doing good (helping people), positive values = doing harm
These 41 carefully scored cases anchor the framework. Use them as reference points when evaluating new cases.
| Case | Score | Tier | Responsibility | Impact | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anduril/Palantir CEO | 57 | Architect of Harm | 29 | +22.5 | Founded or leads weapons/surveillance company with maximum agency and control |
| Oil Company Executive | 54 | High Culpability | 28 | +21 | Senior leadership accelerating climate collapse |
| Fossil Fuel Lobbyist | 53 | High Culpability | 27 | +21 | Actively blocking climate action for profit |
| Blackwater Mercenary | 53 | High Culpability | 25 | +22.5 | Chose violence for profit after military career |
| Anduril/Palantir Engineer | 49 | High Culpability | 24 | +21 | Building weapons systems with abundant alternatives |
| Pharma Sales Rep (Opioids) | 47 | High Culpability | 23 | +19.5 | Pushing opioids during epidemic, 500k+ dead |
| Fox News Prime Time Host | 47 | High Culpability | 28 | +14 | Producing disinformation as multi-millionaire |
| ICE Agent (Voluntary) | 45 | Elevated Culpability | 22 | +19.5 | Chose family separation over postal service |
| Facebook Executive (Myanmar Era) | 44 | Elevated Culpability | 27 | +13 | Platform enabled genocide, stayed during crisis |
| LIV Golf Star (DeChambeau/Rahm) | 44 | Elevated Culpability | 26 | +13 | Left PGA for $100M+ Saudi sportswashing |
| IDF Volunteer During Gaza | 46 | Elevated Culpability | 23 | +19.5 | Chose to enlist during genocide |
| Amazon Executive | 41 | Elevated Culpability | 26 | +11 | Overseeing labor exploitation for massive pay |
| Naoya Inoue (Saudi Boxing) | 41 | Elevated Culpability | 25 | +12 | Repeated Saudi sportswashing participation |
| Private Prison Guard | 39 | Elevated Culpability | 19 | +16.5 | Chose private over public prison for carceral profit |
| Bill Burr (Saudi Comedy Show) | 37 | Elevated Culpability | 23 | +13 | One-time Saudi sportswashing gig as wealthy comedian |
| Prosecutor (Typical) | 35 | Moderate Culpability | 24 | +7 | Chose prosecution over defense, mass incarceration |
| Facebook Engineer (Algorithm) | 34 | Moderate Culpability | 24 | +7 | Building engagement algorithms with known harms |
| Drone Operator | 34 | Moderate Culpability | 17 | +15 | Directly killing but within military structure |
| Police Officer (US, Voluntary) | 33 | Moderate Culpability | 21 | +9 | Chose knowing history, alternatives exist |
| Payday Lender | 31 | Moderate Culpability | 23 | +6 | Predatory lending targeting poor communities |
| IDF Conscript During Gaza | 31 | Moderate Culpability | 13 | +16.5 | Legally compelled during genocide |
| Colin Kaepernick (Pre-Protest) | 31 | Moderate Culpability | 19 | +10 | NFL participation before protest stance |
| Vietnam Conscript | 30 | Moderate Culpability | 13 | +15 | Legally compelled during unjust war |
| Lopez/Stevenson (Saudi Boxing) | 30 | Moderate Culpability | 20 | +9 | Lower-tier boxers taking Saudi paydays |
| Big Tech Engineer (Neutral Product) | 28 | Moderate Culpability | 22 | +4 | Working on non-harmful product at problematic company |
| US Soldier (Volunteer, Peacetime) | 24 | Low-Moderate Culpability | 19 | +4 | Voluntary military service without active conflict |
| Generic NFL Player | 23 | Low-Moderate Culpability | 18 | +4 | Playing in league with known brain injury issues |
| Rank-and-File PGA Player (Post-Merger) | 22 | Low-Moderate Culpability | 17 | +4 | Tour changed under them, limited power to resist |
| Amazon Warehouse Worker | 15 | Low Culpability | 10 | +3 | Economic necessity, exploited by same system |
| Nonprofit CEO | 14 | Low Culpability | 15 | -2 | Leading organization doing modest good |
| Target Cashier | 12 | Low Culpability | 9 | +2 | Economic necessity at baseline corporate harm |
| Local Restaurant Worker | 10 | Low Culpability | 9 | 0 | Economic necessity at truly neutral small business |
| Whistleblower (Snowden Type) | 9 | Moral Exemplar | 17 | -9 | Sacrificed career to expose surveillance state |
| Public School Teacher | 6 | Moral Exemplar | 15 | -10 | Teaching in underfunded system for low pay |
| Social Worker | 6 | Moral Exemplar | 15 | -10 | Helping vulnerable populations for low pay |
| Nonprofit Engineer | 7 | Moral Exemplar | 18 | -12 | Tech skills for social good at half the pay |
| ER Nurse (Public Hospital) | 7 | Moral Exemplar | 15 | -9 | Emergency care in underserved public system |
| Civil Rights Lawyer | 7 | Moral Exemplar | 18 | -12 | Fighting injustice for fraction of corporate salary |
| Colin Kaepernick (Post-Protest) | 6 | Moral Exemplar | 18 | -13 | Sacrificed NFL career for racial justice protest |
| Public Defender | 6 | Moral Exemplar | 18 | -13 | Defending poor at fraction of prosecutor/corporate pay |
| MSF Doctor (War Zone) | 6 | Moral Exemplar | 18 | -13 | Medical care in conflict zones for minimal pay |
Both work for problematic companies. The engineer has maximum agency (abundant alternatives, chose this specifically), works directly on weapons systems, and accepts a $110k/year premium. The cashier has minimal agency (limited options, economic necessity), is far removed from harm, and is exploited by the same system.
Same organization, same actions. But the volunteer chose to enlist during genocide (maximum agency), while the conscript is legally compelled (minimal agency). The 12-point gap is the moral weight of choice.
Both went to law school, both work in criminal justice. The public defender chose to defend the poor for $70k less than corporate law. The prosecutor chose to send people to prison. Same profession, radically different moral positions.