Effective altruism is a philosophy and social movement that uses evidence and reasoning to determine the most effective ways to benefit others. Effective altruism encourages individuals to consider all causes and actions and to act in the way that brings about the greatest positive impact, based upon their values. It is the broad, evidence-based, and cause-neutral approach that distinguishes effective altruism from traditional altruism or charity. Effective altruism is part of the larger movement towards evidence-based practices.
While a substantial proportion of effective altruists have focused on the nonprofit sector, the philosophy of effective altruism applies more broadly to prioritizing the scientific projects, companies, and policy initiatives which can be estimated to save lives, help people, or otherwise have the biggest benefit.People associated with the movement include philosopher Peter Singer,[35] Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz, Cari Tuna, Oxford-based researchers William MacAskill[38] and Toby Ord, professional poker player Liv Boeree,[40] and writer Jacy Reese Anthis.
The earliest known discussion of charity as a virtuous practice, in Indian texts, is in Rigveda. According to other ancient texts of Hinduism, Dana can take the form of feeding or giving to an individual in distress or need. It can also take the form of philanthropic public projects that empower and help many.