In Doing Good Better, William MacAskill argues that not all charitable efforts are equally effective and that we should use evidence and reason to maximise our positive impact. Many well-intentioned donations or actions may do little good or even cause harm, so it’s crucial to focus on cost-effectiveness. For example, providing malaria bed nets can save far more lives per dollar than funding a guide dog. He introduces the 80,000 Hours career framework, suggesting that choosing a high-paying career and donating strategically (“earning to give”) can often do more good than working directly for a charity. The book also emphasises thinking globally, as helping people in low-income countries is often far more impactful than local charity. MacAskill encourages using data-driven methods like randomised controlled trials to evaluate which interventions work best, and he introduces the concept of neglected causes, where a small effort can have a massive impact—such as fighting factory farming or addressing global risks like AI and pandemics. He also highlights the importance of counterfactual thinking, considering what would happen if we didn’t act—would someone else step in, or is our contribution uniquely valuable? Finally, he argues that doing good should be guided by reason, not just emotion, and that we have a moral obligation to use our resources wisely, just as we would feel compelled to save a drowning child if we could do so at little cost to ourselves.

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