Whether and where to give: Whether and where to give

Abstract

This article argues that while it may not be morally wrong to not give money to charity, it may be morally wrong to donate to charities that do less good than other charities, even if not donating to any charity would be morally permissible. It claims that the basis for the moral option to not help others is rooted in the cost to the agent, broadly construed. However, optionality about whether to help at all sometimes also arises from the same factors as optionality about where to help. If this is accepted, then the common assumption that if it is not morally wrong to keep some sum of money for oneself, then it is likewise not morally wrong to donate it to any particular charity one chooses can be challenged. The paper concludes by positing that in many cases it could be morally wrong to give money to charities that promote less good than other charities when it would involve no extra cost to the donor. – AI-generated abstract.