We tend to lead with our hearts when trying to do good. This means we focus on causes that are familiar and local, without thinking very hard about their relative moral importance, or how we could have the greatest possible impact. In this course, we will focus on truly global problems, thinking rigorously about their relative significance and how much we can reasonably do to solve them with our careers and resources.
We will start by asking how we can try to achieve a more accurate view of the world's biggest problems, by overcoming the biases and selection effects that skew our thinking. We will then survey some key cases:
- Global health and poverty,
- Animal welfare,
- Environmental preservation, and
- The long-term survival of human civilization.
Our conceptual tools will be drawn from a variety of disciplines, drawing from philosophy, economics, sociology, environmental science, and development studies.
The overarching ethical question will be: what are the most important global causes?
The overarching practical question will be: what are the most effective things we can do?
And finally, for all of these causes, how can a single individual make the most difference on the margin with a career, volunteer work, or donations?
Course Requirements:
Exams will be available through course Canvas site at designated times.
Intended Audience:
This course will be taught in-person.