--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Effective altruism is the form of…" description: "\"Effective altruism is the form of altruism in which we bring our rational capacities to bear in order to do the most good that we can.\" — Peter Singer" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/897/peter-singer-1001_altruism_effective-altruism-is-the-form-of-altrui_145045.jpg" --- # Effective altruism is the form of altruism in which we… ![“Effective altruism is the form of altruism in which we bring our rational capacities to bear in order to do the most good that we can.” quote by Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/897/peter-singer-1001_altruism_effective-altruism-is-the-form-of-altrui_145045.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/897/peter-singer-1001_altruism_effective-altruism-is-the-form-of-altrui_145045.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/897/peter-singer-1001_altruism_effective-altruism-is-the-form-of-altrui_145045.jpg) > “Effective altruism is the form of altruism in which we bring our rational capacities to bear in order to do the most good that we can.” [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Effective altruism applies rational analysis to maximize positive impact with one's resources. **In simple terms:** Use reason to do most good. Key Takeaway Apply rational altruism. Themes altruism rationality impact ethics efficiency Mood analytical compassionate Type ethical motivational When to use this quote - donations - volunteering - career choices - policy advocacy Key Concepts philosophy economics Questions to Reflect On - How do you evaluate impact? - What resources can you allocate? A Different Perspective Impact measurement can be uncertain. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Altruism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/altruism/) [Generosity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generosity/) ## Related quotes > [There is a growing movement called effective altruism. It's important because it combines both the heart and the head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/there-is-a-growing-movement-called-effective-altruism-it-s-important/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [I'd much rather be part of a society which greatly honors and respects people who are altruists and who are effective in their altruism,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/i-d-much-rather-be-part-of-a-society-which-greatly-honors-and/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [“Friendship is that form of altruism that takes its strides faster than anything else does.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-rana/friendship-is-that-form-of-altruism-that-takes-its-strides-faster/) [Deepak Rana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-rana/) > [The most popular form of altruism is giving to others the advice you cannot use yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-esar/the-most-popular-form-of-altruism-is-giving-to-others-the-advice-you/) [Evan Esar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-esar/) > [Effective altruism is a philosophy and social movement which tries to work out the most effective ways to improve the world. Effective altruists -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jens-martin-skibsted/effective-altruism-is-a-philosophy-and-social-movement-which-tries-to/) [Jens Martin Skibsted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jens-martin-skibsted/) > [Each of us spends money on things that we do not really need. You could take the money you're spending on those unnecessary things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/each-of-us-spends-money-on-things-that-we-do-not-really-need-you/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [The only justifiable stopping place for for the expansion of altruism is the point at which all whose welfare can be affected by our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/the-only-justifiable-stopping-place-for-for-the-expansion-of-altruism/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [Will we rise to the challenge and prove our capacity for genuine altruism by ending our ruthless exploitation of the species in our power,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/will-we-rise-to-the-challenge-and-prove-our-capacity-for-genuine/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [None of us are rational economic men as we're supposed to be portrayed in economic theory where mixes of passions, of desires, of moral…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-jamieson/none-of-us-are-rational-economic-men-as-we-re-supposed-to-be/) [Dale Jamieson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-jamieson/) > [How selfish soever man may be supposed, there are evidently some principles in his nature, which interest him in the fortune of others, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-smith/how-selfish-soever-man-may-be-supposed-there-are-evidently-some/) [Adam Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-smith/) > [One of the great issues in biology is the origin of altruism - of why you would do something for someone else that could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabella-rossellini/one-of-the-great-issues-in-biology-is-the-origin-of-altruism-of-why/) [Isabella Rossellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabella-rossellini/) > [“Take a stand that reflects the widest horizons of your soul if you don’t want to be a slave to external powers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janvier-chouteu-chando/take-a-stand-that-reflects-the-widest-horizons-of-your-soul-if-you/) [Janvier Chouteu-Chando](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janvier-chouteu-chando/) > [“...True classical dropouts in society are those who avoid difficult challenges and cling to the first opportunity that comes their way. They never test…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janvier-chouteu-chando/true-classical-dropouts-in-society-are-those-who-avoid-difficult/) [Janvier Chouteu-Chando](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janvier-chouteu-chando/) > [“Some of our friends are our friends only because we used to be friends.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/some-of-our-friends-are-our-friends-only-because-we-used-to-be-friends/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [“It takes a female to have a baby, It takes a woman to raise a child, It takes a mother to raise them correctly,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/it-takes-a-female-to-have-a-baby-it-takes-a-woman-to-raise-a-child-it/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) ## More by Peter Singer > [I have never really been fond of animals. I certainly wasn't an 'animal lover' when I became involved in the movement. I just came…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/i-have-never-really-been-fond-of-animals-i-certainly-wasn-t-an-animal/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [Knowledge is generally considered a good thing; so, presumably, knowing more about how the U.S. thinks and operates around the world is also good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/knowledge-is-generally-considered-a-good-thing-so-presumably-knowing/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [The price we are willing to pay for safety cannot be infinite. It is distasteful to put a price on human life, but the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/the-price-we-are-willing-to-pay-for-safety-cannot-be-infinite-it-is/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [The hope of Internet anarchists was that repressive governments would have only two options: accept the Internet with its limitless possibilities of spreading information,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/the-hope-of-internet-anarchists-was-that-repressive-governments-would/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [ Nineteen thousand children \[are\] dying every day. Does it really matter that we're not walking past them in the street? Does it really matter… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/nineteen-thousand-children-are-dying-every-day-does-it-really-matter/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [“The unchallenged assumption is that humans may use animals for their own purposes, and they may raise and kill them to satisfy their preference…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/the-unchallenged-assumption-is-that-humans-may-use-animals-for-their/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [Beginning to reason is like stepping onto an escalator that leads upward and out of sight. Once we take the first step, the distance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/beginning-to-reason-is-like-stepping-onto-an-escalator-that-leads/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [“Population growth is not a reason against giving aid but a reason for reconsidering the kind of aid to give.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/population-growth-is-not-a-reason-against-giving-aid-but-a-reason-for/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [Well the real concept of basic needs if you cut it right down are simply the physical needs that are unavoidable for all of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/well-the-real-concept-of-basic-needs-if-you-cut-it-right-down-are/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [“Dairy farmers routinely remove calves from their mothers at an early age so that the milk will be available for humans; anyone who has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/dairy-farmers-routinely-remove-calves-from-their-mothers-at-an-early/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [Attempts to defend amusement parks and circuses on the grounds that they 'educate' people about animals should not be taken seriously. Such enterprises are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/attempts-to-defend-amusement-parks-and-circuses-on-the-grounds-that/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [“A consequence of this alienation of humans from their own nature is that they are also alienated from each other. Productive activity becomes ‘activity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/a-consequence-of-this-alienation-of-humans-from-their-own-nature-is/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [“I argued against the view that the only obligation we have to strangers is to avoid harming them; but even if we were to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/i-argued-against-the-view-that-the-only-obligation-we-have-to/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [I believe that in this new world that we live in, we often have a responsibility, you know, to actually go beyond the thou…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/i-believe-that-in-this-new-world-that-we-live-in-we-often-have-a/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [It may be thought justifiable to require tests on animals of potentially life-saving drugs, but the same kinds of tests are used for products…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/it-may-be-thought-justifiable-to-require-tests-on-animals-of/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) [Explore all 310 Peter Singer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) ## More Altruism quotes > [“It takes a female to have a baby, It takes a woman to raise a child, It takes a mother to raise them correctly,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/it-takes-a-female-to-have-a-baby-it-takes-a-woman-to-raise-a-child-it/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“Some of our friends are our friends only because we used to be friends.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/some-of-our-friends-are-our-friends-only-because-we-used-to-be-friends/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [“...True classical dropouts in society are those who avoid difficult challenges and cling to the first opportunity that comes their way. They never test…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janvier-chouteu-chando/true-classical-dropouts-in-society-are-those-who-avoid-difficult/) [Janvier Chouteu-Chando](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janvier-chouteu-chando/) > [“Take a stand that reflects the widest horizons of your soul if you don’t want to be a slave to external powers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janvier-chouteu-chando/take-a-stand-that-reflects-the-widest-horizons-of-your-soul-if-you/) [Janvier Chouteu-Chando](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janvier-chouteu-chando/) > [One of the great issues in biology is the origin of altruism - of why you would do something for someone else that could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabella-rossellini/one-of-the-great-issues-in-biology-is-the-origin-of-altruism-of-why/) [Isabella Rossellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabella-rossellini/) > [How selfish soever man may be supposed, there are evidently some principles in his nature, which interest him in the fortune of others, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-smith/how-selfish-soever-man-may-be-supposed-there-are-evidently-some/) [Adam Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-smith/) > [Restoration ecology is experimental science, a science of love and altruism. In its attempts to reverse the processes of ecosystem degradation it runs exactly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-mills/restoration-ecology-is-experimental-science-a-science-of-love-and/) [Stephanie Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-mills/) > [“...of all the nonsense that twists the world, the concept of 'altruism' is the worst. People do what they want to do, every time.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/of-all-the-nonsense-that-twists-the-world-the-concept-of-altruism-is/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“Only a fool would find happiness from an achievement that is detrimental to those he loves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janvier-chouteu-chando/only-a-fool-would-find-happiness-from-an-achievement-that-is/) [Janvier Chouteu-Chando](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janvier-chouteu-chando/) > [Never insult an alligator until after you have crossed the river.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cordell-hull/never-insult-an-alligator-until-after-you-have-crossed-the-river/) [Cordell Hull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cordell-hull/) > [“…the purpose of life is to nurture joy, which involves those aspects of humanity that enrich the soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janvier-chouteu-chando/the-purpose-of-life-is-to-nurture-joy-which-involves-those-aspects-of/) [Janvier Chouteu-Chando](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janvier-chouteu-chando/) > [“Whatever they say about it, but being altruistic is not so simple for everyone. Not to look and sound like despotism, altruism must be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lara-biyuts/whatever-they-say-about-it-but-being-altruistic-is-not-so-simple-for/) [Lara Biyuts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lara-biyuts/) > [“Societies and people that come close to being happy are those that do well in narrowing the disparity between their desires and their needs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janvier-chouteu-chando/societies-and-people-that-come-close-to-being-happy-are-those-that-do/) [Janvier Chouteu-Chando](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janvier-chouteu-chando/) > [“Most of the truly kind people of this world show some measure of discomfort when offered kindness. Their gratitude stems not only from their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janvier-chouteu-chando/most-of-the-truly-kind-people-of-this-world-show-some-measure-of/) [Janvier Chouteu-Chando](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janvier-chouteu-chando/) > [“In a pocket of his knapsack he'd found a last half packet of cocoa and he fixed it for the boy and then poured…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/in-a-pocket-of-his-knapsack-he-d-found-a-last-half-packet-of-cocoa/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) [Browse all 419 Altruism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/altruism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Effective altruism is the form of altruism in which we bring our rational capacities to bear in order to do the most good that we can.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Peter Singer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/effective-altruism-is-the-form-of-altruism-in-which-we-bring-our/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Altruism" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/effective-altruism-is-the-form-of-altruism-in-which-we-bring-our/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/897/peter-singer-1001_altruism_effective-altruism-is-the-form-of-altrui_145045.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/897/peter-singer-1001_altruism_effective-altruism-is-the-form-of-altrui_145045.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/897/peter-singer-1001_altruism_effective-altruism-is-the-form-of-altrui_145045.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Effective altruism is the form of altruism in which we bring our rational capacities to bear in order to do…” — Peter Singer", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Peter Singer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Effective altruism is the form of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/effective-altruism-is-the-form-of-altruism-in-which-we-bring-our/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/effective-altruism-is-the-form-of-altruism-in-which-we-bring-our/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```