To accomplish a goal, it is important to have the goal defined and then determine how to accomplish that goal. Effective altruism is no exception. The function of effective altruism is to improve the world as much and as efficiently as possible. To guide our altruistic efforts, therefore, we should answer these questions:
What is our ultimate goal?
A world in which everyone has reached their potential for maximum wellbeing and integrity.
How do we make that happen given the current state of the world and what is presently being done to improve the world?
The answer to this should show us what actions we need to take to create the highest level of wellbeing for the world. Framing the question in the negative is probably is more useful:
What is preventing humanity from realizing the highest level of wellbeing for everyone?
Each person may find a certain method works for him or her, but we feel that asking this last question is a good starting point. Since wellbeing is our goal, we need to first ask ourselves What is it? Which factors affect it?
What is our ultimate goal?
A world in which everyone has reached their potential for maximum wellbeing and integrity.
How do we make that happen given the current state of the world and what is presently being done to improve the world?
The answer to this should show us what actions we need to take to create the highest level of wellbeing for the world. Framing the question in the negative is probably is more useful:
What is preventing humanity from realizing the highest level of wellbeing for everyone?
Each person may find a certain method works for him or her, but we feel that asking this last question is a good starting point. Since wellbeing is our goal, we need to first ask ourselves What is it? Which factors affect it?
Wellbeing may be defined by it’s forms
Physical health. The absence of illness, disease, disability, violence, and other physical ailments which cause suffering in the form of physical pain, loss of function or vitality, or early death.
Physical health. The absence of illness, disease, disability, violence, and other physical ailments which cause suffering in the form of physical pain, loss of function or vitality, or early death.
Physical comfort and pleasure. How good our bodies feel affects our overall wellbeing. Examples include being the right temperature, eating tasty food, using comfortable furniture, affection, breathing clean air, and partaking in enjoyable exercise. Some of these may conflict with physical health, such as eating rich foods, while others, such as breaking clean air, promote good health.
Mental health and emotional state. Negative emotions, whether due to circumstances, or those without an identifiable cause, lower wellbeing. “Happy” emotions may manifest even in difficult times, and largely define wellbeing to many people. Higher order satisfaction such as deriving meaning from life and self-actualization, are also a major component of wellbeing.
Mental health is not perfectly synonymous with positive emotions. Delusions and dementia, for instance, interfere with an accurate perception of reality — something that most people say is important to them in and of itself.
Mental health and emotional state. Negative emotions, whether due to circumstances, or those without an identifiable cause, lower wellbeing. “Happy” emotions may manifest even in difficult times, and largely define wellbeing to many people. Higher order satisfaction such as deriving meaning from life and self-actualization, are also a major component of wellbeing.
Mental health is not perfectly synonymous with positive emotions. Delusions and dementia, for instance, interfere with an accurate perception of reality — something that most people say is important to them in and of itself.
Spirituality and character. The soul is as important as the body and mind for wellbeing. Spiritual wellbeing lies above even the highest level emotions and mentality as the ultimate determinant of one’s experience of life and wellbeing. Many Christians also consider spirituality a major factor in determining the afterlife of a person, such as one’s degree of inward devotion to God.
Character also forms much of wellbeing. Character affects life choices and perspectives, thus affecting other types of wellbeing for self and others. Character is stressed in the Bible more so than having a happy life.
Factors affecting happiness can be approached at the individual or collective level.
Recognized social issues
This approaches altruism at the societal level. Addressing social issues is typically viewed as mitigating bad aspects of society, however, they can also be in the form of making something good better.
Ultimately, there is no difference between these two approaches to altruism. Social issues are factors affecting wellbeing and vise versa. However, searching for the most high impact activities from both the societal and personal perspectives makes it possible to unearth the most options of helping others and perform comparative analysis. It is important to consider both actual and potential factors that can affect an individual or society’s wellbeing. For instance, climate change may not have a noticeable effect on most people today, but it has the potential to dramatically affect many people in the future.