– The Topic of Suffering in Effective Altruism (EA Movement)

Last update: 2024-11-09

Effective altruism (EA) is a movement concerned with the most efficient way to do what is good for others. It aims to save lives, increase happiness, relieve suffering, promote global health and well-being, improve animal welfare, mitigate the risks of artificial intelligence, prevent global catastrophes, etc. The movement currently counts thousands of workers, millions of dollars (see How effective altruism went from a niche movement to a billion-dollar force), and hundreds of publications. This vast collection of mobilized resources has done a lot of good (In Continued Defense Of Effective Altruism presents a summary) that can be relevant to the control of excessive suffering.

Here is the most complete list of EA and EA-adjacent organizations. An easier-to-read list can be found at Organizations and projects in effective altruism.

Although the value of life (in GiveWell for example) and the value of happiness (in Happier Lives for example) are more often at the forefront in EA, some organizations treat suffering as a prominent topic. Our Center deals with those specific organizations in other chapters, such as Suffering-focused Ethics and Concerns about Suffering on a Gigantic Scale. The chapter Selected Authors Dealing with the Topic of Suffering talks about Brian Tomasik, an influent author in EA. There are also EA organizations concerned with a global approach to world problems, see our chapter about Politics. The present chapter looks at the contributions that the effective altruism movement in general may bring to the control of excessive suffering.

Potential funding or supporting entities include Centre For Effective Altruism, Effective Altruism Foundation, Open Philanthropy, Effective Ventures Foundation, and Good Ventures. The full range of potential contributions of EA remains to be explored. The Effective Altruism Forum could be a place for collaboration. (to be followed)