What to read to understand “effective altruism”
H ow to do more good with one’s time and money is a question that tantalises idealistic minds. Yet few approach the question armed with thorough evidence and reason. “Effective altruism” (ea), a research agenda and a social movement, is an exception. ea’s proponents focus on causes that are both well-known (global health and development) and obscure (rogue artificial intelligence, or ai). This burgeoning community of mostly young people was started about a decade ago by a group of philosophers at Oxford University. A handful of curious and wealthy technologists—such as Sam Bankman-Fried, a crypto-billionaire—have since boosted its influence. Insiders estimate that ea-affiliated organisations and individuals who have committed their net worth to the movement have between $20bn-50bn at their disposal. In 2021 they distributed over $600m to philanthropic causes. Much of the best content about ea, a young and very-online movement, is found not in books but blogs, papers and podcasts. This guide will help you to understand where effective altruism came from, what it stands for, and where it might be headed.
Perhaps the most accessible introduction to ea is a series of ten podcast episodes created by 80,000 Hours, an ea organisation that offers advice about work. (The name refers to the aggregate number of hours worked in a typical career.) Be warned, accessible does not mean brief: the episodes are typically at least two hours long. Those pressed for time should focus on two. The first in the series discusses how listeners can do the most good with their philanthropic donations—perhaps the core aim of ea. The last is a wide-ranging discussion in which participants try to define the movement. For something more academic, try a short paper by William MacAskill, a professor at Oxford. In precise language, “The definition of effective altruism” addresses several common questions, and misconceptions, about the ideas of ea.
