in practice both EAs and rationalists have a catholic appetite for involving themselves in all sorts of controversies. Effective altruism
in practice both EAs and rationalists have a catholic appetite for involving themselves in all sorts of controversies. Effective altruism
"The movement, known as E.A. to its practitioners, who themselves are known as E.A.s, takes as its premise that people ought to do good in the most clear-sighted, ambitious, and unsentimental way possible. Among other back-of-the-envelope estimates, E.A.s believe that a life in the developing world can be saved for about four thousand dollars. Effe... See more
Gideon Lewis-Kraus • The Reluctant Prophet of Effective Altruism
I expect that effective altruism will always be an example of what I’ve called “club” communities elsewhere: high retention of existing members, but limited acquisition of new members, like a hobbyist club. EA will continue to grow, but it will never become the dominant narrative because it’s so morally opinionated. I don’t think that’s a problem, ... See more
Nadia Asparouhova • Idea Machines
Effective Altruists and finance theory - Marginal REVOLUTION
marginalrevolution.com
Effective altruism in its simplest form is just the “Moneyball of charities”, a reference to a movie where the sport became all about statistics and less about the players.
Erik Hoel • EconTalk on Apple Podcasts
Charity is good; there are aspects of the effective altruism movement that are good, but the mandate to maximize it at scale deserves to be questioned and investigated.
Erik Hoel • EconTalk on Apple Podcasts
“The rationalist utopia is a power trip,”
Nate Silver • On the Edge: The Art of Risking Everything
One day some historian of effective altruism will marvel at how easily it transformed itself. It turned its back on living people without bloodshed or even, really, much shouting. You might think that people who had sacrificed fame and fortune to save poor children in Africa would rebel at the idea of moving on from poor children in Africa to futur
... See moreMichael Lewis • Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon
“Maximizing the most good for the most number of people” can lead to repugnant conclusions when applied at-scale