Firstly, I want to address why effective altruism, as I’ve stated elsewhere, “cannot singlehandedly meet the civil purpose of philanthropy.”
I think Nadia is misreading EA as a fundamentally philanthropic movement. EA is about maximizing the amount of good we do. Longtermism is about maximizing the EV of the future. Philanthropy is part of that, but far from the whole picture. Neither have made any claims about fulfilling the civil purpose of philanthropy-which I take it is something like libraries and children’s hospitals. In their more extreme forms, EA and longtermism may claim on the margin they are more important than those things, but not that they meet the same purpose.
I enjoy the piece, but do think it misses the mark in its comments on EA.
Thanks that’s very useful context for me. So, eg, my reading if that many EAs would say art charity does not fall under EA thinking.
But, it would be part of wider charity.
You are saying that EA is not making any claims or efforts in wider charity but more specifically on maximising good.
But does EA think wider charity that does not maximise good eg art charity is therefore a waste or it’s not really in EA’s purpose universe so it’s not really relevant.
I think it would be similar to the opinion people would have on the choice of film you choose to see at the cinema or which meal to buy at a restaurant.
I don’t see EA as trying to maximise all donations, just maximise the impact of donations set aside for effective giving. And the donation side is just part of the larger set of actions we can take when trying to do good.
I think Nadia is misreading EA as a fundamentally philanthropic movement. EA is about maximizing the amount of good we do. Longtermism is about maximizing the EV of the future. Philanthropy is part of that, but far from the whole picture. Neither have made any claims about fulfilling the civil purpose of philanthropy-which I take it is something like libraries and children’s hospitals. In their more extreme forms, EA and longtermism may claim on the margin they are more important than those things, but not that they meet the same purpose.
I enjoy the piece, but do think it misses the mark in its comments on EA.
Thanks that’s very useful context for me. So, eg, my reading if that many EAs would say art charity does not fall under EA thinking.
But, it would be part of wider charity.
You are saying that EA is not making any claims or efforts in wider charity but more specifically on maximising good.
But does EA think wider charity that does not maximise good eg art charity is therefore a waste or it’s not really in EA’s purpose universe so it’s not really relevant.
I think it would be similar to the opinion people would have on the choice of film you choose to see at the cinema or which meal to buy at a restaurant.
I don’t see EA as trying to maximise all donations, just maximise the impact of donations set aside for effective giving. And the donation side is just part of the larger set of actions we can take when trying to do good.
Julia Wise has a couple of good posts on this topic—Giving Cheerfully and It’s Okay to Feed Stray Cats.
OK. That makes sense. As new-ish to this forum and more EA people, I do not think people outside EA looking in get this impression.