Mere Mortals Book Reviews

Mere Mortals Book Reviews


The Most Good You Can Do (Peter Singer) - Book Review

May 03, 2022

Super logical arguments that are convincing but somehow feel like they are missing something.

'The Most Good You Can Do' by Peter Singer details the philosophy of effective altruism and how it can be applied. There is a strong slant towards utilitarian ethics with a focus on maximising your individual impact whilst helping others. Specific examples are given of how this can change career paths, deciding on charity recipients and donating body parts. It appeals to rationality through a heavy emphasis on data and thinking about trade-offs whist making donation decisions.

I summarised the book as follows. "It was a bit of a conflicting read. On the one hand it is logical and well argued but I noticed internal thoughts of counter points and a feeling that the arguments lacked something. Nevertheless, it's a good intro for those unaware of the EA movement and will hopefully make you consider the effects of your donations."

I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!

Timeline:
(0:00) - Intro
(0:29) - Synopsis
(4:39) - Judging Value: Ethics vs Morals
(12:00) - Doing: An emphasis on real world results
(18:30) - Observations/Takeaways
(24:00) - Summary

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