I’m pretty sure it is? I had already decided on & committed to a donation amount for 2019, and this would be in addition to that. The lifesaving part is relevant insofar as I am happier about the prospect of this trade than I would be about paying the same amount to an individual.
The only way in which I could imagine this not being perfectly counterfactual is that given that discretionary spending choices depend some on my finances at any given point, and given that large purchases have some impact on my finances, it may be that if some other similar opportunity presented itself later on, my decision re: that opportunity could have some indirect causal connection to my current decision (not in the direct sense of “oh I already donated last month so I won’t now” but just in the sense of “hmm how much discretionary-spending money do I currently have and, given that, do I want to spend $X on Y”). I’m not sure it’s really ever possible to get rid of that though?
If you’re considering it as spending on lifesaving then it doesn’t sound counterfactual?
I’m pretty sure it is? I had already decided on & committed to a donation amount for 2019, and this would be in addition to that. The lifesaving part is relevant insofar as I am happier about the prospect of this trade than I would be about paying the same amount to an individual.
The only way in which I could imagine this not being perfectly counterfactual is that given that discretionary spending choices depend some on my finances at any given point, and given that large purchases have some impact on my finances, it may be that if some other similar opportunity presented itself later on, my decision re: that opportunity could have some indirect causal connection to my current decision (not in the direct sense of “oh I already donated last month so I won’t now” but just in the sense of “hmm how much discretionary-spending money do I currently have and, given that, do I want to spend $X on Y”). I’m not sure it’s really ever possible to get rid of that though?
It could partially motivated by lifesaving but they wouldn’t have donated otherwise. Like, not if they’re a perfectly rational agent, but hey.