Sorry if this is obviously covered somewhere but every time I think I answer it in either direction I immediately have doubts.
Does EA come packaged with “we SHOULD maximize our altruism” or does it just assert that IF we are giving, well, anything worth doing is worth doing right?
For example, I have no interest in giving materially more than I already do, but getting more bang for my buck in my existing donations sounds awesome. Do I count? I currently think not but I’ve changed my mind enough to just ask.
It’s a semantic distinction, but I would count yourself – every bit counts. There is some concern that the EA movement will become “watered down,” but the concern is that epistemic standards will fall, not that the average percentage donated by members of the movement will fall.
I think it is viewed as something in between by the EA community. Dedicating 10% of your time and resources in order to most effectively help others would definitely count as EA according to most self-identifying EAs, while 1% probably wouldn’t, but it’s a spectrum anyway.
EA does not necessarily include any claims about moral realism / universally binding “shoulds”, at least not as I understand it. It comes down to what you want to do.
Sorry if this is obviously covered somewhere but every time I think I answer it in either direction I immediately have doubts.
Does EA come packaged with “we SHOULD maximize our altruism” or does it just assert that IF we are giving, well, anything worth doing is worth doing right?
For example, I have no interest in giving materially more than I already do, but getting more bang for my buck in my existing donations sounds awesome. Do I count? I currently think not but I’ve changed my mind enough to just ask.
It’s a semantic distinction, but I would count yourself – every bit counts. There is some concern that the EA movement will become “watered down,” but the concern is that epistemic standards will fall, not that the average percentage donated by members of the movement will fall.
Well, distortion of ideas and concepts within EA can go a long way. It doesn’t hurt to be prepared for some meaning shift as well.
I dunno, does Holden Karnofsky count as an EA? See: http://blog.givewell.org/2007/01/06/limits-of-generosity/.
You count in my book.
I think it is viewed as something in between by the EA community. Dedicating 10% of your time and resources in order to most effectively help others would definitely count as EA according to most self-identifying EAs, while 1% probably wouldn’t, but it’s a spectrum anyway.
EA does not necessarily include any claims about moral realism / universally binding “shoulds”, at least not as I understand it. It comes down to what you want to do.