Effective altruism is built on the simple but unsettling idea that living a fully ethical life involves doing the most good one can. In this course you will examine this idea's philosophical underpinnings; meet remarkable people who have restructured their lives in accordance with it; and think about how effective altruism can be put into practice in your own life.
All the features of this course are available for free. It does not offer a certificate upon completion.
Offered By
Princeton University
29,894 enrolled
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Week
11 hour to complete
Introduction
1 video (Total 7 min), 5 readings
1 video
5 readings
Course Overview10m
Overview of Videos10m
Effective Altruism Resources10m
Discussion Forum Guidelines10m
Keep in Touch10m
Week
23 hours to complete
Getting Started
In this week, we will give those of you who do not have a background in philosophy, or who need a refresher, an opportunity to study two areas of ethics: meta-ethics and normative ethical theories.
12 videos (Total 153 min), 2 readings
12 videos
Subjectivism4m
Cultural Relativism13m
Objectivism19m
Religion and Ethics9m
Introduction to Consequentialism11m
Utilitarianism13m
Objections to Utilitarianism and Possible Utilitarian Responses15m
Deontology15m
Exceptionless Moral Rules8m
Natural Law Ethics10m
Absolute Rights or Prima Facie Duties17m
2 readings
Topic Introduction: Meta-Ethics10m
Topic Introduction: Normative Ethical Theories10m
Week
32 hours to complete
Poverty and Affluence, Part 1
What obligations do the affluent have towards those who live in extreme poverty? In this week, we look at one distinct argument based on consequentialist ethics, and also begin the discussion of the effectiveness of aid programs. This week also includes a conversation with Raymond Offenheiser.
7 videos (Total 72 min), 2 readings
7 videos
The Affluent, the Poor and the Rule of Easy Rescue14m
Objections to the Pond Analogy 15m
The Effectiveness of Aid4m
What is Poverty?8m
Helping People Solve Their Own Problems10m
Evaluating Oxfam's Work12m
2 readings
Topic Introduction: The Pond Story10m
Topic Introduction: Discussion with Raymond Offenheiser10m
Week
41 hour to complete
Poverty and Affluence, Part 2
In this week we discuss poverty as human rights violations. You will also find a conversation with Dean Karlan about effective solutions to poverty problems in this week.
5 videos (Total 66 min), 2 readings
5 videos
Institutional Human Rights Violations20m
Why 'Does Aid Work?' is the Wrong Question to Ask12m
What Works?15m
Heart Plus Mind6m
2 readings
Topic Introduction: Poverty as Human Rights Violations10m
Topic Introduction: Discussion with Dean Karlan10m
Week
51 hour to complete
What is the Best Cause?
How do you get the most value for your charitable dollars? How can you compare different causes to each other, and how do you compare different charities to each other? The guest in this week is Elie Hassenfeld from GiveWell, an organization that tries to find the answers to these questions.
3 videos (Total 28 min), 1 reading
3 videos
GiveWell's Recommended Charities7m
On Advocacy, Different Causes and GiveWell's Impact9m
1 reading
Topic Introduction: Discussion with Elie Hassenfeld, GiveWell10m
Week
61 hour to complete
How Much Ought We Do to Help Others?
In this week you will meet three individuals who in different ways embody the ideal of effective altruism: Zell Kravinsky, Julia Wise and Alexander Berger.
4 videos (Total 42 min), 1 reading
4 videos
How Much Should You Give?13m
Questions and Answers, Part 16m
Questions and Answers, Part 210m
1 reading
Topic Introduction: Discussion with Zell Kravinsky, Julia Wise, and Alexander Berger10m
Week
71 hour to complete
Career Choice
In this week Will MacAskill and Matt Wage discuss effective altruism and career choice.
5 videos (Total 47 min), 1 reading
5 videos
Will MacAskill: An Ethical Career, Part 25m
Matt Wage: Earning to Give in Practice5m
Questions and Answers, Part 19m
Questions and Answers, Part 26m
1 reading
Topic Introduction: Discussion with Will MacAskill and Matt Wage10m
Week
816 minutes to complete
The Giving Game
In this week you will have the opportunity to play the Giving Game.
1 video (Total 6 min), 1 reading
1 video
1 reading
Topic Introduction: The Giving Game10m
Week
93 hours to complete
Why Act Ethically?
In this last week, we circle back to some foundational questions in ethics. What is the relationship between rationality, self-interest and ethics? How demanding is morality, and why exactly should be try to live an ethical life? In this week you will also find the final essay assignment.
3 videos (Total 41 min), 3 readings, 1 quiz
3 readings
Topic Introduction: Ethics, Rationality and Self-Interest10m
Guide to Writing10m
A Note on Plagiarism and Citing Sources10m
4.7
61 ReviewsTop Reviews
Excellent material on a much needed topic. The course brought together a good number of strong and important ideas, well backed by research and with very interesting and relevant guest speakers.
What a wonderful course. It gives each of us a way to help in the best possible manner. One would think that only serious philanthropists can help when in fact every single person can.
Instructor
Peter Singer
Ira W. Decamp Professor of BioethicsUniversity Center for Human Values
About Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. It is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Once you enroll for a Certificate, you’ll have access to all videos, quizzes, and programming assignments (if applicable). Peer review assignments can only be submitted and reviewed once your session has begun. If you choose to explore the course without purchasing, you may not be able to access certain assignments.
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