Doing good better

An up-and-coming visionary in the world of philanthropy and a cofounder of the effective altruism movement explains why most of our ideas about how to make a difference are wrong and presents a counterintuitive way for each of us to do the most good possible.

While a researcher at Oxford, William MacAskill decided to devote his study to a simple question: How can we do good better? MacAskill realized that, while most of us want to make a difference, we often decide how to do so based on assumptions and emotions rather than facts. As a result, our good intentions often lead to ineffective, sometimes downright harmful, outcomes.

As an antidote, MacAskill and his colleagues developed effective altruism—a practical, data-driven approach to doing good that allows us to make a tremendous difference regardless of our resources. Effective altruists operate by asking certain key questions that force them to think differently, set aside biases, and use evidence and careful reasoning rather than act on impulse. In Doing Good Better, MacAskill lays out these principles and shows that, when we use them correctly—when we apply the head and the heart to each of our altruistic endeavors—each of us has the power to do an astonishing amount of good.

About the author

William MacAskill is an associate professor in philosophy at the University of Oxford and the cofounder of the nonprofit organizations Giving What We Can and 80,000 Hours. These nonprofits have raised more than $400 million in lifetime-pledged donations to charity and have helped spark the effective altruism movement. MacAskill is a contributor to Quartz, the online business magazine of The Atlantic, and he and his organizations have been featured in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, and on NPR and in a TEDx Talk. He lives in Oxford, England.