From “Doing Good Better: How Effective Altruism Can Help You Help Others, Do Work that Matters, and Make Smarter Choices About Giving Back” by William Macaskill
In the first part, I dedicate each chapter to exploring one of effective altruism’s five key questions:
- How many people benefit, and by how much?
- Is this the most effective thing you can do?
- Is this area neglected?
- What would have happened otherwise?
- What are the chances of success, and how good would success be?
Asking these five key questions can help us avoid common pitfalls when thinking about doing good. The first question helps us think concretely about how different actions improve people’s lives, so that we don’t squander our time or money on activities that don’t, ultimately, make people better off. The second question ensures we try to spend our efforts not on “merely good” activities but on the very best activities. The third question directs us to focus on those areas that receive comparatively little attention, and for which others haven’t taken the outstanding opportunities to make a difference. The fourth question helps us to avoid trying to do good works that would happen with or without our involvement. The fifth question helps us to think about uncertainty correctly, so that we can know when to pursue activities that have low odds of success but large potential payoffs instead of activities with guaranteed smaller benefits.
Taken together, these five questions help us to answer the guiding question of effective altruism: “How can I do the most good?”