Reasons for Giving

Discussion with Zell Kravinsky, Julia Wise, and Alexander Berger
Effective altruism is not only an abstract philosophical idea, but it also provides an ideal for how to live your life. I am happy to be talking to three people who have been at the forefront of the effective altruism movement.

At first glance, Zell Kravisnky might fit the image many have of a wealthy philanthropist. Early in his life, he made a fortune in real estate, and gave many millions away. But, unlike a philanthropist who maintains an expensive lifestyle, Zell Kravinsky has chosen to live very modestly. And the millions he gave was not a small percentage of his fortune, but most of it. He also donated one of his kidneys to a woman he had never met. You can find an essay that lays out his point of view in the reading list below.

“To me the question isn't how much I should give away, but how much I should keep. I see my money as belonging to whoever needs it most: every dollar I spend is a dollar out of the hands of someone who needs it more than me.” The words belong to Julia Wise, who donates a large part of her income to charity, although her job as a social worker does not pay very much. Yet, she and her husband manage to keep their needs small, and as the name of her blog suggest, give gladly to help prevent needless suffering and death.

Alexander Berger, who works at GiveWell, also chose to donate one of his kidneys to a stranger. As he wrote in an article in the New York Times the day before he had the operation, many people thinks of kidney donation as an over-the-top self-sacrifice. But, Alexander points out, the operation is reasonably safe and relatively painless. And the benefits to the recipient are enormous. As Alexander says, through his donation “I’ll have given someone, on average, 10 more years of life, years free of the painful and debilitating burden of dialysis.”

In different ways then, my guests embody the ideal of effective altruism and I hope listening to them will challenge you, and perhaps change your views about how you ought to live.