B) “Do you believe that preventing the suffering of a human is more important than preventing an equal amount of suffering of a non-human animal?
This is an important question! I have the suspicion that many people value animals at a rate that should make them focus their resources (at least their donations) towards animal charities, but that they are unaware of this.
However, the question is somewhat ambiguous.Some people believe humans can suffer more than animals ever can, such that preventing the suffering of a human may be 100 times more important than that of a non-human animal. On the other hand, with the original question you capture the degree of speciecism. In that case, I would add “assume some non-human animals can suffer as much as humans can” so you’re sure they interpret it in the way you want.
Borrowing from Peter Singer, I propose asking: “Has effective altruism given you a greater sense of meaning and purpose in your life?”
Nice one! Relatedly, capturing whether we actually are sacrificing our own utility:
“On net, has effective altruism increased or decreased your overall well-being?”
This is an important question! I have the suspicion that many people value animals at a rate that should make them focus their resources (at least their donations) towards animal charities, but that they are unaware of this.
However, the question is somewhat ambiguous.Some people believe humans can suffer more than animals ever can, such that preventing the suffering of a human may be 100 times more important than that of a non-human animal. On the other hand, with the original question you capture the degree of speciecism. In that case, I would add “assume some non-human animals can suffer as much as humans can” so you’re sure they interpret it in the way you want.
Nice one! Relatedly, capturing whether we actually are sacrificing our own utility: “On net, has effective altruism increased or decreased your overall well-being?”