EA - Effective Altruism and the Human Mind: a 5000 Word Summary by Alex Savard

The Nonlinear Library

Welcome to The Nonlinear Library, where we use Text-to-Speech software to convert the best writing from the Rationalist and EA communities into audio. This is: Effective Altruism and the Human Mind: a 5000 Word Summary, published by Alex Savard on August 27, 2024 on The Effective Altruism Forum.
by STEFAN SCHUBERT & LUCIUS CAVIOLA
Context
Earlier this year, @Stefan_Schubert & @Lucius Caviola published Effective Altruism and the Human Mind: The Clash Between Impact and Intuition the first book-length examination of the psychology of effective altruism. This isn't a review but it's a great book and I expect it to become an indispensable (oft-cited) resource for practitioners in the EA ecosystem.
Assuming that other busy altruists might not have time to read the full 65,000 word version, I created a 5,000 word summary with the help of Claude Sonnet 3.5 that aims to distill the most important ideas and takeaways. Having compared it to the original text and my own notes I think it's a good summary and could be very useful for some. It's not perfect - but as the book itself reminds us in Chapter 9 - a focus on perfection can be counterproductive!
The full book is available for purchase at Oxford University Press, as a free PDF, and as an audiobook thanks to @Aaron Bergman here: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, RSS.
Appreciation
We owe Schubert & Caviola a great deal for writing such a useful book and owe Caviola even more for doing so much of the supporting research. It all sheds essential light onto an otherwise dark region of our collective understanding.
I am humbled by their contributions (and those documented in the book) and merely seek to multiply the impact of that great work by making it slightly more accessible. Enjoy!
Contents
PART I. OBSTACLES
1. The Norms of Giving
2. Neglecting the Stakes
3. Distant Causes and Nearsighted Feelings
4. Tough Prioritizing
5. Misconceptions About Effectiveness
PART II. INTERVENTIONS
1. Information, Nudges, and Incentives
2. Finding the Enthusiasts
3. Fundamental Value Change
4. Effective Altruism for Mortals
PART I. OBSTACLES
1. The Norms of Giving
The chapter begins by contrasting how people make decisions in different domains of life. For example, when choosing a restaurant, people typically rely on subjective preferences and personal taste. In contrast, when making investment decisions for retirement, people tend to defer to objective data and expert advice. The authors then pose the question: How do people approach decisions when trying to do good in the world?
Research by Jonathan Berman and colleagues is presented, showing that most people approach charitable giving more like choosing a restaurant than making an investment decision. They tend to base their choices on personal feelings and preferences rather than objective measures of effectiveness. This tendency persists even when people are explicitly told that one charity is more effective than another.
The chapter explores several reasons for this approach to charitable giving:
1. Personal Connections: People often experience a personal connection with specific causes, leading them to support these causes even if they're not the most effective.
2. Urgency: More urgent problems, like disaster relief, tend to evoke stronger emotional responses than ongoing issues, even if the latter might be more cost-effective to address.
3. Failure to Research Effectiveness: Only a small percentage of donors research multiple charities before donating, with many making quick, spontaneous decisions based on gut instincts.
The authors argue that these factors contribute to a norm where emotional appeal takes precedence over effectiveness in charitable giving. This norm is reinforced by societal expectations - most people don't criticize others for prioritizing causes they care about over more effective alternatives.
The chapter then delves into the philosophical distinction between obligatory and supererogatory actions. Charitable giving is generally vie...