Effective Altruism and the Human Mind

The Clash Between Impact and Intuition

Since 2018, I’ve researched the psychology of effective altruism together with Lucius Caviola. We’ve now summarised what we know in a book, Effective Altruism and the Human Mind: The Clash Between Impact and Intuition (Oxford University Press). It’s open-access, and even though it’s an academic book, it’s not a difficult read.

Here is the blurb and the table of contents:

Each year, people donate billions to charities that are but a fraction as impactful as the most effective charities. Why is that? Why are people not helping others more effectively, as proposed by effective altruism? This book seeks to give a psychological explanation, drawing on decades of empirical research. It investigates the role of preferences, norms, and beliefs and shows how intuition can limit impact. The second part of the book shows how we can overcome these obstacles through information campaigns, incentivization techniques, and fundamental value change. It ends with a discussion of how we can use psychology to apply effective altruism in everyday life.

Table of Contents:

Introduction

Part I: Obstacles

Chapter 1: The Norms of Giving
Chapter 2: Neglecting the Stakes
Chapter 3: Distant Causes and Nearsighted Feelings
Chapter 4: Tough Prioritizing
Chapter 5: Misconceptions About Effectiveness

Part II: Interventions

Chapter 6: Information, Nudges, and Incentives
Chapter 7: Finding the Enthusiasts
Chapter 8: Fundamental Value Change
Chapter 9: Effective Altruism for Mortals