The following is a condensed version of "Ineffective Altruism" by Rebecca Richards, published at Law & Liberty.
The desire to make a difference is embedded in the human psyche. The effective altruism movement recently made famous by the exploits of Sam Bankman-Fried, one of its most prominent advocates, taps into this aspect of our nature and offers a clearly defined, logical answer to the core question of which causes and organizations to support. While this confident simplicity gives the movement force, it is also its great shortcoming. EA does well to ask people to think carefully about the way they give, but it is not a one-size-fits-all solution to the challenges that philanthropy seeks to resolve.
Effective altruism advocates supporting the most cost-effective ways to save lives and reduce suffering. This evidence-based approach naturally directs funds toward measurable interventions, most often in developing countries because of lower costs. Relying on an emotional or personal connection when deciding where to give leads to less good being done overall. Rather, disinterested investment, based on just the facts, will lead to the greatest good.
Saving lives and alleviating suffering are noble goals, but they are not the only legitimate goals of philanthropy. Traditionally, philanthropy has also served to strengthen civil society by providing forums for democratic discussion, exploring cultural meaning through the arts, and cultivating a strong network of religious organizations. Charitable history shows us a rich tapestry of causes with different ideas of the good competing in society.
EA adds to the philanthropic dialogue on “the good” with the claim that its way of giving is the most ethical and the most urgent. Peter Singer makes this argument throughout his book, The Most Good You Can Do. Any other aims of philanthropy can wait until certain material needs are met. Singer writes, “In a world in which everyone had enough to eat, basic healthcare, adequate sanitation, and a place at school for each of their children, there would be no problem about donating to museums.” Put another way, Singer is suggesting that until we solve the problems that governments, non-profits, and markets have failed to solve so far, we cannot justify devoting resources to the cultural and spiritual goods that feed the soul.
Imagine, for a moment, the implications of redirecting all funding for museums. Museums could be seen as archaic institutions passing down an outmoded cultural inheritance. On the other hand, museums are an invitation to understand who we, the audience, are, and our values. Although museums reflect the choices of curators, they are also a public forum for discussion and a physical space that connects the knowledge of the past with the needs and interests of the present. Singer presents a false dichotomy. Philanthropy can pursue more than one end. We should not burn the Library of Alexandria for firewood.
There are many different opinions on how philanthropy should operate, but one almost universally recognized benefit of philanthropy is its ability to absorb risk. Rob Reich, the author of Just Giving, argues that the ability of philanthropy to fund experiments for meeting social needs that can be adopted and amplified by the government is one of the only just uses of charitable giving. EA often recommends giving through organizations like GiveWell, a project that recommends charities based on their effectiveness and advocates giving to methods that have already been proven. While some funding may go toward developing more effective solutions, the emphasis on only giving to methods that are cheap and proven discourages gifts that may not work, but whose failure leads to better solutions down the road.
While effective altruism can have impressive results in international relief, promoting EA as the best, most ethical approach to giving does not allow philanthropy to fulfill its full potential. Philanthropy seeks to address problems beyond poverty, which, as a perpetual, deeply entrenched issue, is itself best tackled with multiple approaches simultaneously. Leading effective altruists seem to recognize the deficiency of relying on cost-per-life-saved equations in their movement toward political giving as well as funding research on AI safety. In these areas, they implicitly acknowledge that change also comes from supporting broader movements and not just low-cost interventions.
Effective altruists dismiss the warm glow a donor feels when giving as selfish. Yet, giving is often motivated by some of the deepest emotions, like grief over the loss of a loved one or gratitude for a kindness at the right time. These are far more intense and complicated than simply feeling better about yourself. Sometimes, the donor is offering a part of his or her heart as well as a check. A robust vision of philanthropy allows donors to support solving the large-scale problems and the problems of the everyday. Effective altruism offers a refreshingly simple way to give with confidence, but donors who choose to honor their motivations—both emotional and rational—to support causes they care about also help to solve society’s problems. No singular approach is sufficient, nor should it claim to be.
Rebecca Richards is the associate director of the Fund for Academic Renewal, a philanthropy consulting service of the American Council of Trustees and Alumni.