Editing Altruism (section)

==Philosophy==
{{main|Altruism (ethics)}}
There is a wide range of philosophical views on humans' obligations or motivations to act altruistically. Proponents of [[Altruism (ethics)|ethical altruism]] maintain that individuals are morally obligated to act altruistically.<ref>{{Citation |last=Kraut |first=Richard |title=Altruism |date=2020 |url=https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2020/entries/altruism/ |encyclopedia=The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy |editor-last=Zalta |editor-first=Edward N. |access-date=16 January 2024 |edition=Fall 2020 |publisher=Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University}}</ref> The opposing view is [[ethical egoism]], which maintains that moral agents should always act in their own self-interest. Both ethical altruism and ethical egoism contrast with [[utilitarianism]], which maintains that each agent should act in order to maximise the efficacy of their function and the benefit to both themselves and their co-inhabitants.

A related concept in [[descriptive ethics]] is [[psychological egoism]], the thesis that humans always act in their own self-interest and that true altruism is impossible. [[Rational egoism]] is the view that [[rationality]] consists in acting in one's self-interest (without specifying how this affects one's moral obligations).

In his book ''I am You: The Metaphysical Foundations for Global Ethics'', [[Daniel Kolak]] argues that [[open individualism]] provides a rational basis for altruism.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kolak |first=Daniel |url=https://digitalphysics.ru/pdf/Kaminskii_A_V/Kolak_I_Am_You.pdf |title=I Am You: The Metaphysical Foundations for Global Ethics |date=3 November 2007 |publisher=Springer Science & Business Media |isbn=978-1-4020-3014-7 |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240906163443/https://digitalphysics.ru/pdf/Kaminskii_A_V/Kolak_I_Am_You.pdf |archive-date=6 September 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref>{{Rp|page=552}} According to Kolak, egoism is incoherent because the concept of a [[future self]] is incoherent, similar to the idea of [[anattā]] in Buddhist philosophy, and everyone is in reality the same being. [[Derek Parfit]] made similar arguments in the book ''[[Reasons and Persons]]'', using thought experiments such as the [[teletransportation paradox]] to illustrate the philosophical problems with [[personal identity]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Parfit |first=Derek |url=https://archive.org/details/trent_0116300637661/page/n5/mode/2up |title=Reasons and persons |date=1984 |isbn=0-19-824615-3 |location=Oxford [Oxfordshire] |oclc=9827659}}</ref>

===Effective altruism===
{{See also|Effective altruism|Earning to give|Giving What We Can}}
[[Effective altruism]] is a [[philosophy]] and [[social movement]] that uses evidence and reasoning to determine the most effective ways to benefit others.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=MacAskill |first1=William |title=Effective Altruism: Introduction |journal=Essays in Philosophy |date=2017 |volume=18 |issue=1 |doi=10.7710/1526-0569.1580 |doi-access=free }}</ref> Effective altruism encourages individuals to consider all causes and actions and to act in the way that brings about the greatest positive impact, based upon their values.<ref name="vox">{{cite web|url=https://www.vox.com/2015/4/24/8457895/givewell-open-philanthropy-charity|title = You have $8 billion. You want to do as much good as possible. What do you do?|last = Matthews|first = Dylan|author-link = Dylan Matthews|date = 24 April 2015|access-date = 27 April 2015|website = [[Vox (website)|Vox]]}}</ref> It is the broad, evidence-based, and cause-neutral approach that distinguishes effective altruism from traditional altruism or [[Charity (practice)|charity]].<ref name="bcg">{{cite web|last1=Bennett|first1=Nicole|last2=Carter|first2=Ashley|last3=Resney|first3=Romney|last4=Woods|first4=Wendy|title=How Tech Entrepreneurs Are Disrupting Philanthropy|url=https://www.bcgperspectives.com/content/articles/innovation-strategy-how-tech-entrepreneurs-are-disrupting-philanthropy/|website=BCG Perspectives|publisher=Boston Consulting Group|access-date= 11 March 2017}}</ref> Effective altruism is part of the larger movement towards [[evidence-based practices]].

While a substantial proportion of effective altruists have focused on the [[nonprofit sector]], the philosophy of effective altruism applies more broadly to prioritizing the scientific projects, companies, and policy initiatives which can be estimated to save lives, help people, or otherwise have the biggest benefit.<ref name="doing-good-better">{{cite book|last1=MacAskill|first1=William|title=Doing Good Better|date=2015|publisher=Avery|isbn=978-1-59240-910-5}}</ref> People associated with the movement include philosopher [[Peter Singer]],<ref name="blog.ted.com">{{cite web|last1=Walters|first1=Helen|title=The why and how of effective altruism: Peter Singer's talk visualized|url=http://blog.ted.com/why-how-effective-altruism-peter-singer-visualized/|website=TED Blog|date=19 September 2013}}</ref> Facebook co founder [[Dustin Moskovitz]],<ref name="Washington Post on Dustin Moskovitz and Cari Tuna">{{cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/billionaire-couple-give-plenty-to-charity-but-they-do-quite-a-bit-of-homework/2014/12/26/19fae34c-86d6-11e4-b9b7-b8632ae73d25_story.html | title=Cari Tuna and Dustin Moskovitz: Young Silicon Valley billionaires pioneer new approach to philanthropy | date=26 December 2014 | newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref> [[Cari Tuna]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/tech-philanthropy/2013/9/12/meet-cari-tuna-the-woman-giving-away-dustin-moskovitzs-faceb.html|title=Meet Cari Tuna, the Woman Giving Away Dustin Moskovitz's Facebook Fortune|first=Favid|last=Callahan|work=Inside Philanthropy|date=12 September 2013|access-date=1 March 2018}}</ref> [[University of Oxford|Oxford]]-based researchers [[William MacAskill]]<ref name="The Atlantic article The Greatest Good">{{cite news|last1=Thompson|first1=Derek|title=The Greatest Good|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/06/what-is-the-greatest-good/395768/#b06g25t20w15|work=The Atlantic|date=15 June 2015}}</ref> and [[Toby Ord]],<ref name="Peter Singer The Most Good You Can Do">{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBWWX4ViD3E|via=YouTube|title=Peter Singer: "The Most Good You Can Do" &#124; Talks at Google|date=22 April 2015 }}</ref> and professional poker player [[Liv Boeree]].<ref>{{multiref2
|1={{Cite web|url=https://www.pokerstrategy.com/news/world-of-poker/Liv-Boeree-on-Effective-Altruism_100487/|title=News: Liv Boeree on Effective Altruism|website=pokerstrategy.com|date=8 April 2017 |access-date=11 April 2017}}
|2={{Cite web|url=http://www.livboeree.com/effective-altruism/|title=Effective Altruism {{!}} Liv Boeree|website=livboeree.com|access-date=11 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170411220914/http://www.livboeree.com/effective-altruism/|archive-date=11 April 2017|url-status=dead}}
}}</ref>