effective altruism material in english
π What Is Effective Altruism?
Effective Altruism (EA) is a philosophy and social movement that uses evidence and reason to determine the most effective ways to improve the world β and then takes action based on that understanding. Instead of simply asking, “How can I help?” it asks, “How can I help the most?”
At its core, EA is about maximizing impact: doing the most good you can with the time, money, and energy you have.
π± Origins of Effective Altruism
Effective Altruism emerged in the late 2000s and early 2010s from a convergence of philosophy, economics, and nonprofit evaluation. Key figures include:
- Peter Singer, a moral philosopher who argued in his famous essay “Famine, Affluence, and Morality” (1972) that we are morally obligated to help others if we can do so without sacrificing something of comparable moral importance.
- Toby Ord and Will MacAskill, Oxford philosophers who formalized the EA movement and co-founded organizations like Giving What We Can and The Centre for Effective Altruism.
- Organizations like GiveWell and 80,000 Hours, which helped ground EA in rigorous research and practical tools.
π§ The Core Ideas of EA
- Impartiality All lives have equal moral worth, regardless of where someone lives or what background they come from. Saving a life in your hometown and saving a life across the world should be valued equally.
- Cause Prioritization Not all problems are equally solvable. EA seeks to identify which global problems are most:
- Important (how large is the problem?)
- Neglected (how much attention/resources is it already getting?)
- Tractable (how solvable is it?)
- Evidence-Based Giving EA encourages people to support charities and interventions that have measurable and proven impact. It uses randomized controlled trials, cost-effectiveness analysis, and long-term tracking to decide where money or time will do the most good.
- Personal Responsibility + Career Impact Your career, not just your donations, can be a massive lever for impact. EA asks: What career will let me do the most good with the skills I have?
- Room for Funding An organization is not just good because itβs doing important work. EA evaluates whether it still needs additional money to scale. A brilliant charity thatβs already fully funded may not need more donations as urgently as one that is both effective and underfunded.
π EA in Practice: Examples
1. Global Health & Development
This is one of the most measurable and cost-effective areas to make a difference. EA-aligned organizations like GiveWell have identified charities that save lives for as little as $5,000 per life.
Examples include:
- Against Malaria Foundation β distributes long-lasting insecticidal nets to prevent malaria.
- GiveDirectly β provides direct cash transfers to people living in extreme poverty.
- Deworm the World β treats children for parasitic worm infections that harm cognitive development.
These programs are cheap, proven, and have massive impact.
2. Animal Welfare
EA also extends its concern to non-human animals, especially those suffering in factory farms. It supports:
- Cost-effective campaigns to reduce animal suffering
- Cultivated meat and plant-based alternatives
- Policy advocacy to improve conditions for billions of farmed animals
3. Long-Term Future / Existential Risks
Some EAs focus on reducing global catastrophic risks, like:
- Pandemics
- Nuclear war
- Artificial intelligence risks
- Climate change
This cause area is based on the idea that we should not only help those living now, but also preserve the future of humanity β potentially affecting trillions of future lives.
4. Meta-EA / Movement Building
Some EA organizations focus on building the EA movement itself by:
- Supporting new researchers
- Creating education programs
- Translating EA materials into more languages
- Running fellowships and training for young leaders (like you!)
This approach is based on the idea that influencing others to do good can multiply your own impact.
π Tools & Concepts in EA
- QALYs and DALYs EA uses metrics like Quality-Adjusted Life Years and Disability-Adjusted Life Years to compare health interventions.
- Expected Value EA often considers the expected impact of an action, not just what is most likely to happen. This helps when thinking about low-probability, high-impact events (like AI risk).
- Counterfactual Impact EA asks: What would happen if I didnβt do this? This helps avoid duplication or overfunding a cause that already has support.
- Moral Uncertainty EA thinkers accept that we may be wrong about our values or methods, so they advocate for robust reasoning, humility, and diversification in cause areas.
πΌ Careers in Effective Altruism
The nonprofit 80,000 Hours offers a framework to help people build high-impact careers. Key advice includes:
- Work in high-impact problem areas
- Build rare and valuable skills
- Take career risks early
- Influence decision-makers or funders
- Consider earning to give (choosing a high-paying job to donate large amounts)
EA careers can be in research, policy, advocacy, entrepreneurship, or direct work in cause areas.
π£ Common Critiques of EA
- Too Technocratic or Cold Critics say EA can sound too focused on numbers and not enough on justice, dignity, or relationships.
- Western-Centric Much of the original research and funding came from Western countries, raising concerns about cultural bias.
- Neglects Systemic Change Some believe EA focuses too much on measurable interventions and not enough on broader structural injustice (e.g. colonialism, racism, capitalism).
- Power Dynamics Who decides whatβs βeffectiveβ? Critics ask whether local voices are included in EA decision-making.
EAβs Response: Many EA thinkers acknowledge these issues and are working toward more inclusive, equitable, and justice-aware models of impact.
π€ EA + Equity: A Growing Intersection
New voices in the EA space are integrating equity into impact calculations β understanding that what is “effective” also depends on whose voices are heard, whose suffering is prioritized, and who has power to decide.
This is especially relevant in African and Global South contexts, where local knowledge, cultural respect, and power-sharing are crucial for long-term change.
Programs like your African Equity & Altruism Program (AEAP) are part of this important evolution β helping translate EA into local languages, priorities, and justice frameworks.
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