Thank you to Martin Sandbu for a very informative, thoughtful and thought-provoking FT Weekend Essay on effective altruism (December 30).
It is hard to disagree with Sandbu’s conclusion “that to achieve the most good we can do, we should not take EA too seriously”.
First, ideas of effective philanthropy are hardly new. Look at the work of New Philanthropy Capital since 2002 or the work of Sir Ronald Cohen and others in promoting impact investing, notably through the Global Impact Investing Network established in 2009. Financial models of efficiency, in isolation, do not account for the added value from opening doors and being an effective ambassador for causes and organisations in which you passionately believe.
Talented, altruistic young people might well do a “tour of duty” through a graduate leadership programme such as Teach First or Police Now before “earning to give”, since the insights from such front-line service can enhance a lifetime of future giving and volunteering and social activism.
When it comes to corporate EA, however, there is no substitute for a business making money ethically and responsibly. Nor, as Sandbu rightly concludes, can philanthropy substitute for the hard grind of active citizenship, engaged in political debate and making political choices.
Prof David Grayson
Emeritus Professor of Corporate Responsibility, Cranfield University School of Management; Chair, The Institute of Business Ethics, London SE11, UK