I feel the reasons you cite are all weaker than the real reason: we give work instead of money because we want to know the cause is sincere. Analogously, it’s better to give a hobo bread than money, because he’d just buy booze.
Also, moralizing with an ulterior motive is bad in my metric. Didn’t think I would ever downvote you, but here goes.
This “real reason” of which you speak does not sound like the real reason to me. This is the best possible gloss you could put on it, not the most plausible one.
Having an open ulterior motive is fine in my book. Don’t trust me? Think that makes the net expected utility too low? Fine, go donate to the Methuselah Foundation or Foresight Institute instead. But don’t think you can get away with just donating time. Find someone you trust enough to donate money.
To a certain extent, I agree with cousin’s point. When I volunteer time directly for a charity, I know that my services are going 100% to the cause. When I give money, there is always some doubt in my mind.
Find someone you trust enough to donate money.
I don’t know about you, but there are very few people I trust on that point. I do give money to charity, but I’m a bit skeptical about it at the same time.
I once donated $650 to it using my debit card. Unfortunately, my checking account didn’t have $650 in it at the time, and I had to pay an overdraft fee. (I transferred money from another account to cover the negative balance.)
My parents were very angry with me for giving away the money, saying that I was going to need my savings for myself. :P
I feel the reasons you cite are all weaker than the real reason: we give work instead of money because we want to know the cause is sincere. Analogously, it’s better to give a hobo bread than money, because he’d just buy booze.
Also, moralizing with an ulterior motive is bad in my metric. Didn’t think I would ever downvote you, but here goes.
This “real reason” of which you speak does not sound like the real reason to me. This is the best possible gloss you could put on it, not the most plausible one.
Having an open ulterior motive is fine in my book. Don’t trust me? Think that makes the net expected utility too low? Fine, go donate to the Methuselah Foundation or Foresight Institute instead. But don’t think you can get away with just donating time. Find someone you trust enough to donate money.
(more stupidity scratched)
You’re right. Sorry.
Gotta become friends with Eliezer. :)
To a certain extent, I agree with cousin’s point. When I volunteer time directly for a charity, I know that my services are going 100% to the cause. When I give money, there is always some doubt in my mind.
I don’t know about you, but there are very few people I trust on that point. I do give money to charity, but I’m a bit skeptical about it at the same time.
I recommend Population Services International.
I once donated $650 to it using my debit card. Unfortunately, my checking account didn’t have $650 in it at the time, and I had to pay an overdraft fee. (I transferred money from another account to cover the negative balance.)
My parents were very angry with me for giving away the money, saying that I was going to need my savings for myself. :P
I’ve donated to them as well, on the basis of the evaluation by http://www.givewell.net/
That said, OB and LW may have convinced me that all future donations should go elsewhere e.g. towards existential risks.
No, that fails trivially. Loads of charitable activity takes the form “do activity X, convert it to money, and give it to charity Y”.