Yes, I am claiming that when Effective Altruism is defined as “trying to find the best ways” what it really means is “trying to find the most effective ways”. As far as I can tell the reasons for using “the best” are to avoid a circular definition (“Effective Altruism is trying to find the most effective ways to perform altruism”) and as a rhetorical device to deflect criticism (“Surely you can’t object to trying to find the best ways of helping others?!”).
Despite protests to the contrary EA is a form of utilitarianism, and when the word effective is used it has generally been in the sense of “cost effective”. If you are not an effective altruist (which I am not), then cost effectiveness—while important—is an instrumental value rather than an intrinsic value. Depending on your ethical framework, therefore, what you define as “the best way” to help people will differ from the effective altruist.
Yes, I am claiming that when Effective Altruism is defined as “trying to find the best ways” what it really means is “trying to find the most effective ways”. As far as I can tell the reasons for using “the best” are to avoid a circular definition (“Effective Altruism is trying to find the most effective ways to perform altruism”) and as a rhetorical device to deflect criticism (“Surely you can’t object to trying to find the best ways of helping others?!”).
Despite protests to the contrary EA is a form of utilitarianism, and when the word effective is used it has generally been in the sense of “cost effective”. If you are not an effective altruist (which I am not), then cost effectiveness—while important—is an instrumental value rather than an intrinsic value. Depending on your ethical framework, therefore, what you define as “the best way” to help people will differ from the effective altruist.