Will MacAskill: An Ethical Career, Part 1

Discussion with Will MacAskill and Matt Wage
I am happy to have Will MacAskill and Matt Wage as my guests to talk about effective altruism and career choices.

A few years ago Matt, who was then a student in my practical ethics class at Princeton, came to my office seeking my opinion about ethical career choices. He now works on Wall Street and donates half of his salary every year to highly effective charities. Matt talks about what motivates him to give away such a large percentage of his income, and some of the potential problems with his commitment.

Key Concepts and Questions
As you read and watch the videos this week, keep an eye out for the following key concepts:
- Earning to give
- Quality Adjusted Life Year (QALY)
- Randomized controlled trials
- The problem of unethical industries
- The problem of burn out
- The problem of corruption