Towards ineffective altruism

Abstract

By measuring measurable ways of helping others, calculating their effectiveness, and maximizing the outcome, effective altruism seeks to determine how people can best make positive contributions to the world. Although useful, this approach also has its limitations. It can oversimplify how to do good, and it can direct resources away from worthy causes that are harder to quantify. Countering these problems, ineffective altruism emphasizes the importance of ineffability and suboptimal effectiveness in the pursuit of doing good. Valuing the social and political aspects of doing good and allowing for diversified approaches to altruism that go beyond optimization can better ensure that individuals can make meaningful contributions. – AI-generated abstract.