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 moral significance and how much we can reasonably do to solve them with our careers and resources.

The world’s biggest problems can seem permanent and intractable, but the last few decades have actually seen unprecedented improvements in poverty, health, freedom, and literacy. Much can be done, and there is still much to do, if our goal is to make the world a better place. This class will focus on (i) global health and poverty, (ii) animal welfare, (iii) environmental preservation, and (iv) the long-term survival of human civilization. Our conceptual tools will be drawn from a variety of disciplines. We will use moral philosophy to help us think about which issues we should care about most; and we will use empirical research to evaluate the efficacy of various interventions, drawing from 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?