What Does Effective Altruism Really Believe?

What exactly is effective altruism? Beginning in the early 2010s as a nerdy way to rethink the most cost-effective charity, the movement has since grown into a broader philosophy for thinking about just about everything in our lives, from the careers we choose to the technologies we build.

Today, Derek Thompson talks with Will MacAskill, one of the movement’s founders, about the origins and ideas behind effective altruism, its blind spots and controversies, the downfall of major funder Sam Bankman-Fried, and what it can tell us about this moment in history.

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Host: Derek Thompson

Guest: Will MacAskill

Producer: Devon Baroldi

Additional Production Support: Ben Glicksman

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