What criteria do effective altruists use to determine the most pressing global issues?

Effective altruism is a philosophy and social movement that applies evidence and reason to determine the most effective ways to benefit others. Rather than following traditional charitable giving patterns, effective altruists seek to ensure that their resources—whether time, money, or skills—are used to achieve the greatest possible positive impact. But how do effective altruists decide which global issues are the most pressing? This article dives deep into the criteria they use to make these important determinations.

1. Scale

The first criterion effective altruists consider is the scale of a problem. The scale encompasses the magnitude and severity of the issue, including the number of lives affected and the degree of suffering or loss of well-being involved. When evaluating scale, they ask questions like:

• How many people are affected by this issue?
• How severely are they affected?
• What is the broader impact on society and future generations?

For instance, global health problems such as malaria and tuberculosis affect millions of people and cause significant suffering and death. The scale of such problems is enormous, making them a high priority for many effective altruists.

2. Neglectedness

Another critical criterion is neglectedness, which considers how much attention and resources are already being directed toward addressing the issue. Effective altruists tend to focus on problems that are not only large in scale but also underfunded or overlooked by other philanthropists, governments, and organizations. This criterion allows them to make a disproportionate impact. They ask questions like:

• How much funding and effort are currently allocated to solving this problem?
• Are there significant gaps in the current approaches to addressing it?
• Is the issue widely recognized, or is it flying under the radar of most aid organizations?

For example, existential risks posed by emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and synthetic biology receive relatively little attention compared to more visible issues such as climate change, making them a prime focus area for some effective altruists.

3. Tractability

The third criterion is tractability, which assesses how solvable or manageable a problem is with additional resources and effort. They evaluate whether there are feasible interventions that can make a substantial difference. Questions they consider include:

• Are there proven strategies or interventions that can effectively tackle this issue?
• How much progress can be realistically achieved with additional funding and resources?
• Is there a clear path from intervention to measurable impact?

For example, distributing bed nets to prevent malaria is a highly tractable issue. There's extensive evidence showing that bed nets effectively reduce malaria transmission, making it a straightforward and impactful intervention.

4. Personal Fit

While not always highlighted, personal fit is an essential criterion for individual effective altruists. This involves assessing whether one has the skills, expertise, connections, or passion to make a difference in a particular area. Personal fit ensures that not only are the efforts effective, but they are also sustainable and aligned with the individual's strengths. Effective altruists ask:

• Do I have the skills and knowledge needed to contribute to this cause effectively?
• Am I passionate and motivated to work on this issue over the long term?
• Can I mobilize resources, networks, or influence that uniquely positions me to make an impact?

By focusing on causes where they have a good personal fit, effective altruists can maximize their contributions and maintain their engagement over time.

5. Robustness of Evidence

Effective altruists place a high value on the robustness of evidence supporting various interventions and causes. This involves meticulously evaluating the quality and reliability of the data and research available. They look for interventions that are supported by rigorous, peer-reviewed studies or have a strong theoretical foundation validated by empirical evidence. Key questions include:

• Is there strong, credible evidence supporting the effectiveness of this intervention?
• How confident can we be in the data and research findings?
• Are there independent evaluations confirming the results?

By insisting on robust evidence, effective altruists ensure that their efforts are grounded in reality and are likely to produce the desired outcomes.

6. Cost-effectiveness

Finally, cost-effectiveness is a crucial criterion for effective altruists. They aim to ensure that every dollar, hour, or unit of effort spent yields the maximum possible benefit. Cost-effectiveness assessments typically compare the relative costs and benefits of different interventions, allowing effective altruists to prioritize those that offer the greatest impact per unit of resource. They ask:

• What is the estimated cost to achieve a specific outcome or benefit?
• How does this intervention's cost-effectiveness compare to alternative approaches?
• Are there ways to optimize or improve the cost-effectiveness of this solution?

For example, deworming programs in low-income countries are known to be highly cost-effective, significantly improving children's health and educational outcomes for a relatively low cost, making them attractive to effective altruists.

Conclusion

Determining the most pressing global issues is a complex task that involves balancing multiple criteria, including scale, neglectedness, tractability, personal fit, robustness of evidence, and cost-effectiveness. By critically evaluating these factors, effective altruists can identify and prioritize the causes that have the potential to generate the most substantial positive impact on the world. Whether addressing global health, mitigating existential risks, or pushing forward innovative solutions to long-standing problems, effective altruism offers a data-driven, thoughtful approach to doing the most good.

By leveraging these criteria, effective altruists not only enhance their effectiveness but also set a valuable example for others who seek to make a meaningful difference in the world.