Evidence-Based Charity and Moral Psychology

2024/12/17

The Michael Shermer Show

Joshua Greene

Joshua Greene: 本期节目探讨了高效利他主义、基于证据的慈善以及GivingMultiplier的独特模式，旨在最大限度地提高慈善捐赠的影响力。研究表明，高效慈善机构的影响力远超普通慈善机构，其差异巨大。GivingMultiplier平台鼓励人们同时进行高效捐赠和个人情感捐赠，通过‘分拆捐赠’和‘支付转发’模式，激励人们参与，并为高效慈善机构提供更多资金。该平台尊重人们的情感需求，同时鼓励高效捐赠，力求在理性与情感之间取得平衡。平台选择的全球健康和贫困慈善机构都经过GiveWell等机构的严格评估，注重实际影响力而非运营成本。高效利他主义的核心思想是将慈善捐赠视为一项投资，注重回报和影响力，鼓励人们以理性的方式对待慈善捐赠，并最大限度地提高其影响力。长期来看，减少人类冲突，特别是部落主义，是应对生存威胁的关键。 Michael Shermer: 节目中，Shermer与Greene探讨了有效利他主义，以及如何将情感与理性结合，从而更有效地进行慈善捐赠。他们讨论了捐赠者疲劳、公共与私人解决方案、堕胎、死刑和政治两极分化等复杂问题。Greene分享了关于解决社会分歧和激励集体行动的实用见解。讨论中也涉及到对有效利他主义的批判性思考，以及如何平衡对当下问题的关注与对长期问题的关注。同时，讨论也涉及到对功利主义和权利的辩论，以及如何将两者结合起来，以更有效地解决社会问题。

Deep Dive

Key Insights

Why do some charities have a much higher impact than others?

The most effective charities can be up to 100 times more impactful than typical ones. For instance, donating $100 to a highly effective charity can do more good than donating $10,000 to a less effective one.

What is GivingMultiplier and how does it work?

GivingMultiplier is a platform that allows donors to split their donations between their favorite charities and highly effective ones recommended by experts. It also offers matching funds to increase the impact of donations.

How does GivingMultiplier address donor fatigue?

By allowing donors to split their donations between personal favorites and high-impact charities, GivingMultiplier helps donors satisfy both their emotional connection to local causes and their desire for maximum impact.

What are some examples of highly effective charities supported by GivingMultiplier?

GivingMultiplier supports charities focused on global health, poverty, animal welfare, and long-term initiatives like climate change and pandemic prevention. One popular charity is GiveDirectly, which provides direct cash transfers to those in need.

Why does GivingMultiplier not focus on long-term risks like AI or nuclear threats?

While long-term risks like AI and nuclear threats are important, GivingMultiplier focuses on immediate impact, such as saving lives through malaria prevention or deworming treatments, as these have clearer and more direct benefits.

What is the 'Ndugu effect' and how does it relate to charitable giving?

The 'Ndugu effect' refers to the emotional impact of personalized giving, where donors feel more connected to a cause when they can focus on helping a specific individual or group, even if the overall impact is the same.

How does GivingMultiplier measure the effectiveness of charities?

GivingMultiplier relies on organizations like GiveWell to measure the direct impact of charities, focusing on outcomes such as lives saved or improved quality of life, rather than overhead costs.

What is the role of the Gates Foundation in effective philanthropy?

The Gates Foundation has been a pioneer in effective philanthropy, supporting global health and poverty initiatives. GivingMultiplier recognizes their contributions and even received recognition from an award partly sponsored by the Gates Foundation.

How does GivingMultiplier handle the tension between public and private solutions to poverty?

GivingMultiplier acknowledges that while a more progressive tax system might be ideal, in the current world, private philanthropy can still make a significant impact. It focuses on leveraging existing wealth to reduce suffering effectively.

What is the dual process theory and how does it apply to charitable giving?

The dual process theory, which distinguishes between emotional (deontological) and rational (utilitarian) decision-making, applies to giving by allowing donors to balance their emotional connection to local causes with rational, high-impact giving.

Shownotes Transcript

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.

Evidence-Based Charity and Moral Psychology 01:22:46 Share