Peter Singer: The why and how of effective altruism

Translator: Joseph Geni Reviewer: Morton Bast

譯者: Marssi Draw 審譯者: Allen Li

There's something that I'd like you to see.

我想先讓大家看一段影片

(Video) Reporter: It's a story that's deeply unsettled

（影片）記者：以下的故事

millions in China:

讓數百萬中國人深感不安：

footage of a two-year-old girl

鏡頭上是一名兩歲的小女孩

hit by a van and left bleeding in the street by passersby,

遭廂型車撞擊後 路人讓她獨自在街上流血

footage too graphic to be shown.

畫面太過震撼，不適合在此播放

The entire accident is caught on camera.

整起事故被監視器拍了下來

The driver pauses after hitting the child,

駕駛在撞到小孩後停頓了一下

his back wheels seen resting on her for over a second.

車子後輪壓在她身上不止一秒鐘

Within two minutes, three people pass two-year-old Wang Yue by.

兩分鐘內有三個人 走過這位兩歲小女孩王悅身邊

The first walks around the badly injured toddler completely.

第一位完全忽視並繞過 身受重傷的孩子

Others look at her before moving off.

另外兩位離開前看了她一眼

Peter Singer: There were other people

彼得．辛格：隨後還有更多人

who walked past Wang Yue,

從王悅身旁走過

and a second van ran over her legs

第二台廂型車壓過她的腳

before a street cleaner raised the alarm.

後來才有一名清潔工發出警報

She was rushed to hospital, but it was too late. She died.

她被緊急送醫 但為時已晚，她過世了

I wonder how many of you, looking at that,

我想知道在座有多少人看到後

said to yourselves just now, "I would not have done that.

對自己說：「我不會這樣，

I would have stopped to help."

我會停下來救她。」

Raise your hands if that thought occurred to you.

有這種想法的請舉手

As I thought, that's most of you.

和我想的一樣，大部份的人都如此

And I believe you. I'm sure you're right.

我相信你，我確定你們是對的

But before you give yourself too much credit,

但在各位感到驕傲前

look at this.

請看這個

UNICEF reports that in 2011,

聯合國兒童基金會 (UNICEF) 報導 2011 年

6.9 million children under five

有 690 萬名兒童在五歲前

died from preventable, poverty-related diseases.

死於可預防的、貧窮相關的疾病

UNICEF thinks that that's good news

UNICEF 認為這是好消息

because the figure has been steadily coming down

因為數字逐漸降低

from 12 million in 1990. That is good.

1990 年時是 1200 萬人 現在好多了

But still, 6.9 million

但仍有 690 萬名兒童

is 19,000 children dying every day.

即每天有一萬九千名兒童死亡

Does it really matter

他們是否在我們經過的路上

that we're not walking past them in the street?

真的很重要嗎？

Does it really matter that they're far away?

他們在很遠的地方 真的很重要嗎？

I don't think it does make a morally relevant difference.

我不認為在道德上有什麼不同

The fact that they're not right in front of us,

事實是，他們不在我們面前

the fact, of course, that they're of a different nationality

事實是，他們的國籍、種族不同

or race, none of that seems morally relevant to me.

但在道德上，我不認為有什麼不同

What is really important is,

真正重要的是

can we reduce that death toll? Can we save

我們能不能降低死亡人數？

some of those 19,000 children dying every day?

我們能不能拯救每天死亡的 一萬九千名兒童？

And the answer is, yes we can.

答案是，我們當然可以！

Each of us spends money

我們每個人都有把錢花在

on things that we do not really need.

不太需要的東西上

You can think what your own habit is,

你可以想想你的習慣

whether it's a new car, a vacation

不管是一台新車、一段假期

or just something like buying bottled water

或是去買瓶裝水來喝

when the water that comes out of the tap

但明明水龍頭的水

is perfectly safe to drink.

就可以生飲

You could take the money you're spending

你可以把

on those unnecessary things

不必要的花費

and give it to this organization,

捐給這個組織：

the Against Malaria Foundation,

瘧疾防治基金會 (Against Malaria Foundation)

which would take the money you had given

它會將你的捐款

and use it to buy nets like this one

用來買這樣的蚊帳

to protect children like this one,

來保護這樣的孩子

and we know reliably that if we provide nets,

我們確實知道，如果提供蚊帳

they're used, and they reduce the number of children

給他們使用，就能減少

dying from malaria,

兒童死於瘧疾的人數

just one of the many preventable diseases

而這只是造成每天

that are responsible for some of those 19,000 children

一萬九千名孩童死亡的

dying every day.

眾多可預防性疾病中的一種

Fortunately, more and more people

幸運的是，越來越多人

are understanding this idea,

了解這個想法

and the result is a growing movement:

結果形成了一個運動：

effective altruism.

「有效的利他主義」 (effective altruism)

It's important because it combines both the heart and the head.

這件事很重要 因為它結合了心和腦

The heart, of course, you felt.

心，當然指的是你的感受

You felt the empathy for that child.

你同情那個孩子

But it's really important to use the head as well

但用腦也一樣重要

to make sure that what you do is effective and well-directed,

才能確保你做的事有效 而且方向正確

and not only that, but also I think reason helps us

不僅如此，我認為理性也能幫我們

to understand that other people, wherever they are,

了解其他人，無論他們在哪裡

are like us, that they can suffer as we can,

就像我們一樣，我們也可能 像他們那樣受苦

that parents grieve for the deaths of their children,

那些父母因為孩子過世而悲傷

as we do,

就像我們一樣

and that just as our lives and our well-being matter to us,

生命和幸福，對我們來說很重要

it matters just as much to all of these people.

對這些人來說也一樣重要

So I think reason is not just some neutral tool

因此我認為理性 不只是個中立的工具

to help you get whatever you want.

來幫助你達成目標

It does help us to put perspective on our situation.

更能幫助我們設身處地

And I think that's why

我想這也是為什麼

many of the most significant people in effective altruism

「有效的利他主義」 的許多指標性人物

have been people who have had backgrounds

有哲學、經濟、

in philosophy or economics or math.

或數學的背景

And that might seem surprising,

看來好像很奇怪

because a lot of people think,

因為很多人認為

"Philosophy is remote from the real world;

「哲學和現實世界很遙遠；

economics, we're told, just makes us more selfish,

聽說經濟學只會讓我們變得自私

and we know that math is for nerds."

而唸數學的都是書呆子。」

But in fact it does make a difference,

但事實上，這些學科真的有影響

and in fact there's one particular nerd

而且真的有一位書呆子

who has been a particularly effective altruist

成了特別有效的利他主義者

because he got this.

因為他成立了這個

This is the website of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation,

這是比爾與梅琳達．蓋茲基金會網站 (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation)

and if you look at the words on the top right-hand side,

你可以看到到右上角的字寫著：

it says, "All lives have equal value."

「所有的生命價值相同。」

That's the understanding,

這份了解的心

the rational understanding of our situation in the world

以理性了解我們在世上處境的心

that has led to these people

引領著以下這三位

being the most effective altruists in history,

成為史上最有效益的利他主義者：

Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett.

比爾與梅琳達．蓋茲 以及華倫巴菲特 (Warren Buffett)

(Applause)

（鼓掌）

No one, not Andrew Carnegie, not John D. Rockefeller,

卡內基 (Andrew Carnegie) 和 洛克菲勒 (John D. Rockefeller)

has ever given as much to charity

捐給慈善機構的金額

as each one of these three,

也比不上這三位中的任何一位

and they have used their intelligence

他們用自己的智慧

to make sure that it is highly effective.

確保高度的有效性

According to one estimate, the Gates Foundation

根據一項評估，蓋茲基金會

has already saved 5.8 million lives

已經拯救了 580 萬條人命

and many millions more, people, getting diseases

並讓幾百萬人免於身患重病

that would have made them very sick,

這些疾病本來會讓他們得到重症

even if eventually they survived.

甚至死亡

Over the coming years, undoubtably the Gates Foundation

未來幾年，毫無疑問

is going to give a lot more,

蓋茲基金會將會捐出更多錢

is going to save a lot more lives.

拯救更多生命

Well, you might say, that's fine if you're a billionaire,

你可能會說 很好，因為你是億萬富翁

you can have that kind of impact.

才會有那麼大的影響力

But if I'm not, what can I do?

但我不是，我能做些什麼呢？

So I'm going to look at four questions that people ask

因此，我將討論會影響人們付出

that maybe stand in the way of them giving.

的四個疑問

They worry how much of a difference they can make.

他們擔心能造成多大差別

But you don't have to be a billionaire.

其實你不必是億萬富翁

This is Toby Ord. He's a research fellow in philosophy

這位是托比．歐德 (Toby Ord)

at the University of Oxford.

在牛津大學擔任哲學研究員

He became an effective altruist when he calculated

他之所以成為有效的利他主義者

that with the money that he was likely to earn

是因為他計算了一生的總收入

throughout his career, an academic career,

他從事學術工作

he could give enough to cure 80,000 people of blindness

他有能力付出 讓八萬名開發中國家

in developing countries

的盲人重見光明

and still have enough left

而且還足以維持

for a perfectly adequate standard of living.

良好的生活品質

So Toby founded an organization

因此托比成立了一個組織

called Giving What We Can to spread this information,

叫「盡已所能」 (Giving What We can) 來傳播這個訊息

to unite people who want to share some of their income,

召集想捐出部分所得的民眾

and to ask people to pledge to give 10 percent

並請大家承諾捐出

of what they earn over their lifetime

10% 的終生所得

to fighting global poverty.

來打擊全球的貧窮

Toby himself does better than that.

托比自己做得更多

He's pledged to live on 18,000 pounds a year --

他每年只留下一萬八千英鎊

that's less than 30,000 dollars --

少於三萬美元

and to give the rest to those organizations.

把其餘的所得都捐給這些組織

And yes, Toby is married and he does have a mortgage.

沒錯，托比已婚、也有貸款

This is a couple at a later stage of life,

這一對則較為年長

Charlie Bresler and Diana Schott,

查理．布萊斯勒 (Charlie Bresler) 和黛安娜．喬特 (Diana Schott)

who, when they were young, when they met,

他們在年輕時相遇

were activists against the Vietnam War,

當時都是越戰的反戰人士

fought for social justice,

為社會正義而戰

and then moved into careers, as most people do,

之後和大部分人一樣開始工作

didn't really do anything very active about those values,

他們沒做什麼太激進的事

although they didn't abandon them.

但也從未背棄這些價值

And then, as they got to the age at which many people

然後他們到了大部分人

start to think of retirement, they returned to them,

開始想要退休的年紀 他們回到這些價值

and they've decided to cut back on their spending,

決定減少消費

to live modestly, and to give both money and time

簡樸生活，把金錢和時間運用在

to helping to fight global poverty.

幫助對抗全球的貧窮

Now, mentioning time might lead you to think,

提到時間可能會讓你想說：

"Well, should I abandon my career and put all of my time

「我該丟下我的工作，將全部時間

into saving some of these 19,000 lives

奉獻在拯救每天消逝的

that are lost every day?"

一萬九千條人命上嗎？」

One person who's thought quite a bit about this issue

威爾．克洛其 (Will Crouch) 思考了這個議題

of how you can have a career that will have

你要怎麼擁有一份職業

the biggest impact for good in the world is Will Crouch.

能夠帶給全世界最好的影響

He's a graduate student in philosophy,

他是哲學系畢業的學生

and he's set up a website called 80,000 Hours,

他設立了一個網站「八萬小時」

the number of hours he estimates

這個數字是他計算出

most people spend on their career,

人們花在自己職業生涯的時間

to advise people on how to have the best,

以建議人們如何選擇最好的、

most effective career.

最有效率的工作

But you might be surprised to know

但你可能會很驚訝

that one of the careers that he encourages people to consider,

他建議大家可以考慮的工作之一

if they have the right abilities and character,

如果能力和個性都適合的話

is to go into banking or finance.

就是進銀行業或金融業

Why? Because if you earn a lot of money,

為什麼？因為如果你賺夠多錢

you can give away a lot of money,

你就可以捐出這些錢

and if you're successful in that career,

如果你在工作上很成功

you could give enough to an aid organization

你可以捐錢給公益團體

so that it could employ, let's say, five aid workers

讓團體能在發展中國家

in developing countries, and each one of them

雇用五位援助工作者

would probably do about as much good

他們每位都可能

as you would have done.

像你做得一樣好

So you can quintuple the impact

因此你可以藉由從事這類工作

by leading that kind of career.

來發揮五倍的影響力

Here's one young man who's taken this advice.

有位年輕人接受了他的建議

His name is Matt Weiger.

他名叫麥特．韋格 (Matt Weiger)

He was a student at Princeton in philosophy and math,

是普林斯頓大學 哲學系和數學系的學生

actually won the prize for the best undergraduate philosophy thesis

他去年畢業時

last year when he graduated.

得到了最佳大學生哲學論文獎

But he's gone into finance in New York.

但他到紐約去從事金融業

He's already earning enough

他已經賺到夠多的錢

so that he's giving a six-figure sum to effective charities

所以他的捐款已達十萬美金以上

and still leaving himself with enough to live on.

而且仍有足夠的生活費

Matt has also helped me to set up an organization

麥特也幫我成立了一個組織

that I'm working with that has the name taken

是用我寫的一本書的書名

from the title of a book I wrote,

「你能拯救的生命」 (The Life You Can Save)

"The Life You Can Save,"

做為此組織的名稱

which is trying to change our culture

主要在試著改變我們的文化

so that more people think that

讓更多人思考

if we're going to live an ethical life,

如果想過有道德的人生

it's not enough just to follow the thou-shalt-nots

不能只記得

and not cheat, steal, maim, kill,

不欺騙、不偷竊、不傷人、不殺人

but that if we have enough, we have to share some of that

如果我們擁有的已經足夠

with people who have so little.

就應該要分享一些 給那些只有很少的人

And the organization draws together people

組織將不同世代的人們

of different generations,

團結起來

like Holly Morgan, who's an undergraduate,

像是大學生荷莉．摩根 (Holly Morgan)

who's pledged to give 10 percent

承諾捐出 10%

of the little amount that she has,

她為數不多的存款

and on the right, Ada Wan,

右邊的這位是汪艾達 (Ada Wan)

who has worked directly for the poor, but has now

她曾直接為窮人服務

gone to Yale to do an MBA to have more to give.

但為了能奉獻更多 現在到耶魯唸 MBA

Many people will think, though,

許多人可能會想

that charities aren't really all that effective.

慈善團體不是真的都有效

So let's talk about effectiveness.

所以我們就來談談「有效」

Toby Ord is very concerned about this,

托比很關心這件事

and he's calculated that some charities

他計算出某些慈善團體

are hundreds or even thousands of times

和其他單位相比

more effective than others,

有效幾百、甚至幾千倍

so it's very important to find the effective ones.

因此，找到有效的慈善團體很重要

Take, for example, providing a guide dog for a blind person.

舉例說，提供導盲犬給盲人

That's a good thing to do, right?

是件好事，對吧？

Well, right, it is a good thing to do,

是的，那是件好事

but you have to think what else you could do with the resources.

但你要思考，有了這些資源 你還能做什麼？

It costs about 40,000 dollars to train a guide dog

要花四萬美元訓練

and train the recipient so that the guide dog

一隻導盲犬與一位盲人

can be an effective help to a blind person.

才能讓導盲犬有效幫助盲人

It costs somewhere between 20 and 50 dollars

但僅需約二十到五十美元

to cure a blind person in a developing country

就能治癒一位開發中國家

if they have trachoma.

因砂眼而視障的盲人

So you do the sums, and you get something like that.

因此計算之後，你就會發現

You could provide one guide dog

你可以提供一隻導盲犬

for one blind American,

給一位美國的盲人

or you could cure between 400

也可以讓四百到

and 2,000 people of blindness.

兩千位盲人重見光明

I think it's clear what's the better thing to do.

要怎麼做比較好，顯而易見

But if you want to look for effective charities,

如果你想尋找有效的慈善團體

this is a good website to go to.

這是個很好的網站

GiveWell exists to really assess the impact of charities,

「行善」 (GiveWell) 主要在確實評估慈善團體的影響

not just whether they're well-run,

不只是評估營運是否良好

and it's screened hundreds of charities

更由數百個慈善團體中篩選

and currently is recommending only three,

目前只推薦三個

of which the Against Malaria Foundation is number one.

「瘧疾防治基金會」名列第一

So it's very tough. If you want to look for other recommendations,

這很不容易 如果想找其他被推薦的團體

thelifeyoucansave.com and Giving What We Can

還可造訪「你能拯救的生命」 及「盡已所能」網站

both have a somewhat broader list,

都有更多的名單

but you can find effective organizations,

但你可以找到的有效組織

and not just in the area of saving lives from the poor.

不限於拯救窮人生命的而已

I'm pleased to say that there is now also a website

我很高興的宣布，現在有個網站

looking at effective animal organizations.

可以找到有效的動物組織

That's another cause that I've been concerned about

這也是我這畢生持續關心的

all my life, the immense amount of suffering

另一個對象，即是因人類而遭受

that humans inflict

巨大痛苦的

on literally tens of billions of animals every year.

每年數百億隻動物

So if you want to look for effective organizations

因此若你想找到一個有效的組織

to reduce that suffering,

來減輕這種痛苦

you can go to Effective Animal Activism.

可以造訪「有效的動物行動主義」 (Effective Animal Activism)

And some effective altruists think it's very important

一些有效的利他主義者認為

to make sure that our species survives at all.

確保人類生存是很重要的事

So they're looking at ways to reduce the risk of extinction.

所以他們正在尋找方法 來降低人類滅絕的危險

Here's one risk of extinction that we all became aware of

最近我們都意識到，滅絕危機之一

recently, when an asteroid passed close to our planet.

是小行星接近地球

Possibly research could help us not only to predict

也許研究能幫我們，不只是預測

the path of asteroids that might collide with us,

可能撞擊的小行星路徑

but actually to deflect them.

更能讓小行星轉向

So some people think that would be a good thing to give to.

有人認為這是值得付出的好事

There's many possibilities.

還有很多的可能性

My final question is,

我的最後一個問題是

some people will think it's a burden to give.

有些人認為付出是一種負擔

I don't really believe it is.

我不這麼認為

I've enjoyed giving all of my life

我很享受付出我的一切

since I was a graduate student.

從我在唸研究所時就是如此

It's been something fulfilling to me.

這讓我感到滿足

Charlie Bresler said to me that he's not an altruist.

查理．布萊斯勒曾當訴我 他不是利他主義者

He thinks that the life he's saving is his own.

他認為他拯救的，是自己的生命

And Holly Morgan told me that she used to battle depression

荷莉．摩根則告訴我 她一直在對抗憂鬱症

until she got involved with effective altruism,

直到她參與了有效的利他主義

and now is one of the happiest people she knows.

現在她成了最快樂的人之一

I think one of the reasons for this

我想其中一項因素是

is that being an effective altruist helps to overcome

有效的利他主義有助於克服

what I call the Sisyphus problem.

「薛西弗斯 (Sisyphean) 問題」

Here's Sisyphus as portrayed by Titian,

這是提香 (Titian) 所畫的 薛西弗斯畫像

condemned by the gods to push a huge boulder

他被神懲罰

up to the top of the hill.

要將巨石推到山頂

Just as he gets there, the effort becomes too much,

當他推到頂端，因為太用力了

the boulder escapes, rolls all the way down the hill,

石頭又一路滾到山下

he has to trudge back down to push it up again,

他得再走回山下，重新再推

and the same thing happens again and again

同樣的事重覆發生

for all eternity.

直到永恆

Does that remind you of a consumer lifestyle,

這是否讓你想到 消費者的生活方式

where you work hard to get money,

你努力賺錢

you spend that money on consumer goods

再把錢花在消費品上

which you hope you'll enjoy using?

希望由使用消費品得到享受

But then the money's gone, you have to work hard

但錢花掉了

to get more, spend more, and to maintain

你又得再努力工作、賺錢、花錢

the same level of happiness, it's kind of a hedonic treadmill.

以維持同樣程度的快樂 這有點像是快樂跑步機

You never get off, and you never really feel satisfied.

你永遠下不來，也永遠不滿足

Becoming an effective altruist gives you

成為一位有效的利他主義者

that meaning and fulfillment.

會帶給你意義與滿足

It enables you to have a solid basis for self-esteem

讓你的自尊有穩固的基礎

on which you can feel your life was really worth living.

你會覺得自己活得很值得

I'm going to conclude by telling you

最後我要和你分享

about an email that I received

最近我收到的一封電子郵件

while I was writing this talk just a month or so ago.

大約一個月前，我正在寫這篇講稿

It's from a man named Chris Croy, who I'd never heard of.

信是由一位陌生人克里斯．克洛伊 (Chris Croy) 寫來的

This is a picture of him showing him recovering from surgery.

這是他從手術中恢復的照片

Why was he recovering from surgery?

為什麼他要動手術？

The email began, "Last Tuesday,

信件如下：「上週二

I anonymously donated my right kidney to a stranger.

我匿名捐了右腎給一位陌生人，

That started a kidney chain

引發了捐腎的連鎖效應，

which enabled four people to receive kidneys."

有四個人獲得腎臟。」

There's about 100 people each year in the U.S.

全美國每年有一百人捐腎

and more in other countries who do that.

其他國家更多

I was pleased to read it. Chris went on to say

我很高興的讀著。克里斯接著說

that he'd been influenced by my writings in what he did.

我的文章影響了他做這件事

Well, I have to admit, I'm also somewhat embarrassed by that,

嗯，我得承認 這件事讓我有點不好意思

because I still have two kidneys.

因為我還是有兩顆腎臟

But Chris went on to say that he didn't think

但是克里斯接著說，他從沒想過

that what he'd done was all that amazing,

他做的事有多了不起

because he calculated that the number of life-years

因為他計算了

that he had added to people, the extension of life,

他幫助別人延長的生命

was about the same that you could achieve

大概就等於

if you gave 5,000 dollars to the Against Malaria Foundation.

捐五千美元給瘧疾防治基金會

And that did make me feel a little bit better,

這讓我感覺更好一點

because I have given more than 5,000 dollars

因為我已經捐了超過五千美元

to the Against Malaria Foundation

給瘧疾防治基金會

and to various other effective charities.

及其他有效的慈善團體

So if you're feeling bad

因此，如果你的心情不好

because you still have two kidneys as well,

那是因為你還有兩顆腎臟

there's a way for you to get off the hook.

有一種方法可以為你脫身

Thank you.

謝謝

(Applause)

（掌聲）