What beats intuition when it comes to doing good? (with Marcus Davis)
Clearer Thinking with Spencer Greenberg
Intro
Spencer introduces Marcus A. Davis and the episode's central question about comparing different forms of doing good.
Read the full transcript here.
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Can radically different forms of good really be compared? What makes two charitable outcomes commensurable? When does cost effectiveness become a moral argument rather than just an economic one? Is helping the global poor often cheaper for reasons that are ethically relevant? How should we weigh temporary enrichment against preventing severe suffering? At what point does refusing comparison become morally evasive? Are some value systems too implausible to treat as equally serious? How much should location matter when the same intervention works in multiple places? Does the ability to compare causes require a single theory of value? What do we lose by pretending all forms of good are incomparable?
Marcus A. Davis is the co-founder and CEO of Rethink Priorities, a think-and-do tank that uses rigorous empirical research to help philanthropists, policymakers, and cause-focused organizations direct resources where they'll do the most good. Marcus writes about effective charity, EA culture, and arguments around doing good at his Substack, Charity for All, and you can also follow him on Bluesky: amarcusdavis.bsky.social.
Links:
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Marcus' Substack: Charity for All
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Marcus' Bluesky Profile
Staff
- Spencer Greenberg — Host + Director
- Ryan Kessler — Producer + Technical Lead
- WeAmplify — Transcriptionists
- Igor Scaldini — Marketing Consultant
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