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Why effective altruism is not effective - ABC Religion & Ethics

abc.net.au · 2,754 words · saved by 2 readers

Effective altruism focuses on giving in a way that undermines its own effectiveness. In order to appeal to more people, it adopts an individualistic consumerist frame which cannot help but foreclose political means of solving problems. Its distinctive commitment to the logic of individualist consumerism makes effective altruism incapable of achieving large-scale projects, like the elimination of global poverty.

Share Facebook X (formerly Twitter) “Effective altruism is based on a very simple idea: we should do the most good we can. Obeying the usual rules about not stealing, cheating, hurting, and killing is not enough, or at least not enough for those of us who have the good fortune to live in material comfort, who can feed, house, and clothe ourselves and our families and still have money or time to spare. Living a minimally acceptable ethical life involves using a substantial part of our spare resources to make the world a better place. Living a fully ethical life involves doing the most good we c

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