Clearer Thinking with Spencer Greenberg

What beats intuition when it comes to doing good? (with Marcus Davis)


Listen Later

Read the full transcript here.

If you enjoy our podcast, we have some exciting news – we’ve just launched a new membership called Clearer Thinking Plus.

Members get this podcast completely ad-free, as well as two professional coaching sessions every month, access to our advanced cognitive assessment, and seven other exclusive perks.

Clearer Thinking Plus is one of the most affordable ways to get access to a high-quality coach - whether you want to improve your habits, find more effective ways to work towards your goals, or get assistance making difficult decisions. It is also a more affordable and convenient way to get all the perks we offer.

If you're not interested in coaching, you can still get ad-free access to this podcast and the other perks with our explorer plan.

Access www.clearerthinking.org/plus to become a member today. We hope to see you there!

Can radically different forms of good really be compared? What makes two charitable outcomes commensurable? When does cost effectiveness become a moral argument rather than just an economic one? Is helping the global poor often cheaper for reasons that are ethically relevant? How should we weigh temporary enrichment against preventing severe suffering? At what point does refusing comparison become morally evasive? Are some value systems too implausible to treat as equally serious? How much should location matter when the same intervention works in multiple places? Does the ability to compare causes require a single theory of value? What do we lose by pretending all forms of good are incomparable?

Marcus A. Davis is the co-founder and CEO of Rethink Priorities, a think-and-do tank that uses rigorous empirical research to help philanthropists, policymakers, and cause-focused organizations direct resources where they'll do the most good. Marcus writes about effective charity, EA culture, and arguments around doing good at his Substack, Charity for All, and you can also follow him on Bluesky: amarcusdavis.bsky.social.

Links:

  • Rethink Priorities Website

  • Marcus' Substack: Charity for All

  • Marcus' Bluesky Profile

Staff

  • Spencer Greenberg — Host + Director
  • Ryan Kessler — Producer + Technical Lead
  • WeAmplify — Transcriptionists
  • Igor Scaldini — Marketing Consultant

Music

  • Broke for Free
  • Josh Woodward
  • Lee Rosevere
  • Quiet Music for Tiny Robots
  • wowamusic
  • zapsplat.com

Affiliates

  • Clearer Thinking
  • GuidedTrack
  • Mind Ease
  • Positly
  • UpLift
[Read more]
...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Clearer Thinking with Spencer GreenbergBy Spencer Greenberg

  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8

4.8

133 ratings


More shows like Clearer Thinking with Spencer Greenberg

View all
The Knowledge Project by Shane Parrish

The Knowledge Project

2,672 Listeners

You Are Not So Smart by You Are Not So Smart

You Are Not So Smart

1,705 Listeners

Making Sense with Sam Harris by Sam Harris

Making Sense with Sam Harris

26,380 Listeners

EconTalk by Russ Roberts

EconTalk

4,270 Listeners

Conversations with Tyler by Mercatus Center at George Mason University

Conversations with Tyler

2,461 Listeners

Philosophy Bites by Edmonds and Warburton

Philosophy Bites

1,532 Listeners

The Good Fight by Yascha Mounk

The Good Fight

907 Listeners

The Joe Walker Podcast by Joe Walker

The Joe Walker Podcast

124 Listeners

Modern Wisdom by Chris Williamson

Modern Wisdom

4,025 Listeners

The Michael Shermer Show by Michael Shermer

The Michael Shermer Show

941 Listeners

Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas by Sean Carroll

Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas

4,167 Listeners

Machine Learning Street Talk (MLST) by Machine Learning Street Talk (MLST)

Machine Learning Street Talk (MLST)

101 Listeners

Dwarkesh Podcast by Dwarkesh Patel

Dwarkesh Podcast

551 Listeners

Theories of Everything with Curt Jaimungal by Theories of Everything

Theories of Everything with Curt Jaimungal

18 Listeners

"Econ 102" with Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg by Turpentine

"Econ 102" with Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg

147 Listeners