Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford Grand Theft Automated: How to Save a Trillion Lives
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Jul 4, 2025 Dive into the fascinating world of effective altruism, where billionaires grapple with the moral implications of their wealth. Explore Sam Bankman-Fried's controversial duality as both a humanitarian and a con artist. Unravel ethical dilemmas in philanthropy, from the struggle of small business owners to the chaos in cryptocurrency. Engage with philosophical debates around altruism and humanity's conflicting nature, revealing how self-sacrifice can lead to unexpected financial consequences.
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Singer's Moral Philosophy
- Moral philosopher Peter Singer argued that distance does not reduce moral obligation to help others.
- We should treat a starving child far away as morally equal to a drowning child nearby.
Will MacAskill's Effective Altruism
- Will MacAskill read Singer's essay and decided to give away surplus income to effective charities.
- He founded the Effective Altruism movement focusing on maximizing impact of donations.
Earn to Give
- MacAskill advised students to become high earners and donate a large portion of income.
- "Earning to give" can fund many more effective interventions than direct work in poor countries.
