Executive summary: This post explains the Effective Altruist framework of Importance, Tractability (Solvability), and Neglectedness (ITN), clarifying how it works in practice, why it shapes cause prioritization, and how it differs from other approaches like leftist organizing—while emphasizing that ITN is more of a guiding equation than a strict formula.
Key points:
The ITN framework is best seen as an equation—combining importance (scale of good), tractability (likelihood of progress per resources), and neglectedness (marginal impact of extra resources)—rather than a checklist of criteria.
Importance is measured by the number of beings affected and the severity of impact, often proxied by health and wealth (e.g., DALYs, income gains), even though these miss many other valuable outcomes.
Tractability is highly debated, since it depends on complex judgments about whether progress is possible (e.g., influencing policy, fostering veganism, advancing AI safety), and often drives disagreements within causes.
Neglectedness refers to the marginal good done by additional resources, not simply whether an issue is ignored; highly funded causes often have diminishing returns, while small but competent organizations may offer outsized marginal value.
Mistakes in neglectedness analysis include focusing on overly broad categories (e.g., “climate change” rather than sub-causes) or ignoring what types of resources are actually needed (e.g., money vs. talent).
Comparison with leftist approaches: EAs view large movements as a sign of diminishing marginal returns, while leftists see scale as essential to shifting power; this divergence explains recurring tensions and miscommunications between the two groups.
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Executive summary: This post explains the Effective Altruist framework of Importance, Tractability (Solvability), and Neglectedness (ITN), clarifying how it works in practice, why it shapes cause prioritization, and how it differs from other approaches like leftist organizing—while emphasizing that ITN is more of a guiding equation than a strict formula.
Key points:
The ITN framework is best seen as an equation—combining importance (scale of good), tractability (likelihood of progress per resources), and neglectedness (marginal impact of extra resources)—rather than a checklist of criteria.
Importance is measured by the number of beings affected and the severity of impact, often proxied by health and wealth (e.g., DALYs, income gains), even though these miss many other valuable outcomes.
Tractability is highly debated, since it depends on complex judgments about whether progress is possible (e.g., influencing policy, fostering veganism, advancing AI safety), and often drives disagreements within causes.
Neglectedness refers to the marginal good done by additional resources, not simply whether an issue is ignored; highly funded causes often have diminishing returns, while small but competent organizations may offer outsized marginal value.
Mistakes in neglectedness analysis include focusing on overly broad categories (e.g., “climate change” rather than sub-causes) or ignoring what types of resources are actually needed (e.g., money vs. talent).
Comparison with leftist approaches: EAs view large movements as a sign of diminishing marginal returns, while leftists see scale as essential to shifting power; this divergence explains recurring tensions and miscommunications between the two groups.
This comment was auto-generated by the EA Forum Team. Feel free to point out issues with this summary by replying to the comment, and contact us if you have feedback.