Joshua Greene, a Harvard psychology professor, dives into the complexities of moral psychology and effective charity. He unveils how some charities are 100 times more effective than others, urging smarter donations. The conversation touches on the balance between local and global giving, ethical dilemmas like abortion and animal welfare, and the emotional versus rational aspects of philanthropy. Greene emphasizes the importance of cooperation to tackle societal divides, all while advocating for a pragmatic approach to ethics in a polarized world.
Effective altruism reveals that some charities are drastically more efficient than others, necessitating a data-driven approach to philanthropy.
The Giving Multiplier platform creatively encourages donors to split contributions between favored and highly effective charities, enhancing overall giving impact.
Moral psychology plays a crucial role in charity decisions, as emotional connections often conflict with the rational need for effective charitable donations.
Deep dives
The Role of Philosophy in Real-World Impact
The speaker discusses their transition from philosophy to a more action-oriented approach, emphasizing the importance of applying philosophical insights to achieve real-world outcomes. Initially focused on moral dilemmas and human behavior, they share how this academic background inspired them to explore ways to positively influence society. The concept of effective altruism plays a critical role in this journey, highlighting the significant variance in charity effectiveness and the need for data-driven approaches to maximize impact. This evolution represents a synthesis of intellectual exploration and practical application, aimed at addressing human suffering and improving moral understanding.
Maximizing Charitable Impact
A key point is the dramatic difference in effectiveness among charities, illustrated by the comparison between a shrub and a redwood highlighting the potential impact of certain organizations. Initiatives like GiveWell have laid the groundwork for understanding how to allocate resources to alleviate suffering most effectively. The speaker reflects on their personal journey toward convincing others to give more effectively, noting that while some are quickly persuaded, many remain skeptical. This reflects the challenge of reconciling emotional connections to local charities with the need for impactful global giving.
The 50/50 Split Donation Approach
To address the balance between emotional giving and effective philanthropy, the speaker and their collaborator developed the concept of making split donations between a favored charity and a highly effective one. Initial experiments revealed that this approach increased overall donations to effective charities, suggesting that people are willing to maintain their emotional connection while improving their impact. This method not only enhances individual satisfaction but also broadens the reach of compassionate efforts. By framing donations in this way, they successfully cater to both the emotional and rational facets of giving.
The Evolution of Giving Multiplier
The speaker elaborates on the formation and function of the Giving Multiplier platform, which encourages users to split their donations between personal favorites and effective charities, thereby increasing total contributions. This innovative model harnesses the support of matching funds, incentivizing users to give more to causes they care about while amplifying the effectiveness of their contributions. Through partnerships and technological advancements, the platform has raised over $3 million for various charities, underscoring the power of collective giving initiatives. The speaker's vision is not only to facilitate financial support but also to cultivate a culture of responsible philanthropy.
Challenges and Philosophical Discourses on Philanthropy
The discussion touches on the philosophical underpinnings of moral decision-making in the context of charitable giving, analyzing how individual motivations can shape choices. The speaker contrasts different ethical philosophies, such as utilitarianism and deontological ethics, to examine people's emotional and rational responses to moral dilemmas. This duality plays a pivotal role in how individuals approach giving, often leading to conflicting motivations and decisions. Ultimately, the challenge lies in creating frameworks that encourage more effective altruism while recognizing the complexity of human motivations and emotions.
In the U.S. alone, more than $400 billion are donated to charity each year—equivalent to two percent of American GDP. This generosity is wonderful, but these gifts don’t do nearly as much good as they could. In recent years, researchers have started studying the effectiveness of different charities, just as investors study the effectiveness of different companies. These researchers ask questions like: How much money does it cost for this charity to save someone’s life? The answers are stunning. Charity experts estimate that the most effective charities are about 100 times more effective than typical charities. For example, you can do more good by donating $100 to a highly effective charity than by donating $10,000 to a typical charity.
Shermer and Greene discuss effective altruism, evidence-based philanthropy, and GivingMultiplier’s unique model for maximizing charitable impact. They explore moral judgment theories, from deontology to consequentialism, and delve into complex topics like donor fatigue, public vs. private solutions, abortion, capital punishment, and political polarization. Greene shares practical insights into addressing societal divides and inspiring collective action.
Joshua Greene is a Professor of Psychology at Harvard, where he teaches “Evolving Morality: From Primordial Soup to Superintelligent Machines,” one of the university’s most popular courses. He is also the author of Moral Tribes: Emotion, Reason, and the Gap Between Us and Them, which integrates moral philosophy, psychology, and neuroscience to explain the underlying causes of modern conflict. Josh’s latest applied research has led to novel, evidence-based strategies for reducing political animosity and inspiring thousands of people to support nonprofits addressing extreme poverty, climate change, and other pressing societal issues. His new organization is GivingMultiplier.org.
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