I think both the total view (my argument) and the marginal view (your argument, as I understand it) converge when you think about the second-order effects of your donations on only the most effective causes. You’re right that I argue in this post from the total view of the community, and am effectively saying that going from $50b to $100b is more valuable now than it would have been at any time in the past. But I think this logic also applies to individuals if you believe that your donations will displace other donations to the second-best option, as I think we must believe (from $50b to $50.00001b, for example).
This is why I think it’s important to step back and make these arguments in both total + absolute terms, rather than how they’re typically made for simplicity, in marginal and relative terms (an individual picking earn-to-give vs direct work). It’s ultimately the total + absolute view that matters, even though the marginal + relative view allows for the most simplified decision-making.
Plus, responding to you in your framework it also just so happens that if you believe longtermism, the growth of longtermism has added not just more second-best options, but probably new first-best options, increasing the first-order efficiency like you say. So I think there are multiple ways to arrive at this conclusion :)
I think both the total view (my argument) and the marginal view (your argument, as I understand it) converge when you think about the second-order effects of your donations on only the most effective causes. You’re right that I argue in this post from the total view of the community, and am effectively saying that going from $50b to $100b is more valuable now than it would have been at any time in the past. But I think this logic also applies to individuals if you believe that your donations will displace other donations to the second-best option, as I think we must believe (from $50b to $50.00001b, for example).
This is why I think it’s important to step back and make these arguments in both total + absolute terms, rather than how they’re typically made for simplicity, in marginal and relative terms (an individual picking earn-to-give vs direct work). It’s ultimately the total + absolute view that matters, even though the marginal + relative view allows for the most simplified decision-making.
Plus, responding to you in your framework it also just so happens that if you believe longtermism, the growth of longtermism has added not just more second-best options, but probably new first-best options, increasing the first-order efficiency like you say. So I think there are multiple ways to arrive at this conclusion :)