My solution, in very vague, abstract terms, is to dedicate a substantial part (at least half) of my free time and disposable income (which I define as income not required to sustain a moderate lifestyle), to doing whatever I can to provide opportunities for the less fortunate, and to inform others.
In more concrete terms, that means:
1/ Posting to this blog once weekly.
2/ Reading an interesting philanthropy book each month.
3/ Acquiring an ongoing income stream that provides funds for reputable charities.
4/ Political activism (always non-violent).
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
My Circumstances
I'm a Caucasian male, born and living in Australia, in my mid-twenties. I have little free time. I come from a middle class background, and am steadily employed. I have a degree in mathematics and computer science. I have a moderate amount of disposable income, but certainly no acquired fortune. I have no political or religious affiliations. I'm healthy. I would describe myself as bright, but I am no genius. I am enthusiastic, and hard working.
There was no 'eureka!' moment, just a gradual realisation of how truly fortunate I am to have won the ovarian lottery.
I'm also realistic about what I can achieve. I expect to hold this conviction (or rather, for this conviction to have hold of me) for the remainder of my life.
There was no 'eureka!' moment, just a gradual realisation of how truly fortunate I am to have won the ovarian lottery.
I'm also realistic about what I can achieve. I expect to hold this conviction (or rather, for this conviction to have hold of me) for the remainder of my life.
The Problem
My name is Chris, and I can't eat caviar while others starve.
We all know that in this world, that success, happiness and survival depend as much on factors beyond our control as factors within in our control. Warren Buffet asks us to imagine that, 24 hours before we are born, that a genie asks to select a ball at random, and that this ball will determine into whether we will be born white or black, above intelligence or below, healthy or not, male or female, and so on. He continues:
If you could put your ball back, and they took out, at random, a hundred other balls, and you had to pick one of those, would you put your ball back in? Now, of those hundred balls … roughly five of them will be American. … Half of them are going to be below-average intelligence, half will be above. Do you want to put your ball back? Most of you, I think, will not. … What you’re saying is, “I’m in the luckiest 1% of the world right now."
This is an extension of Rawls' veil of ignorance idea.
So, the problem becomes, How do you eliminate the extreme fortune and misfortune that comes with being born a certain way?
Given the enormous magnitude of this problem, one needs to have realistic goals in mind. No one man or woman can fix this problem by themselves. However, meaningful progress can be made by individuals and collectives, and it would be unethical not to try.
We all know that in this world, that success, happiness and survival depend as much on factors beyond our control as factors within in our control. Warren Buffet asks us to imagine that, 24 hours before we are born, that a genie asks to select a ball at random, and that this ball will determine into whether we will be born white or black, above intelligence or below, healthy or not, male or female, and so on. He continues:
If you could put your ball back, and they took out, at random, a hundred other balls, and you had to pick one of those, would you put your ball back in? Now, of those hundred balls … roughly five of them will be American. … Half of them are going to be below-average intelligence, half will be above. Do you want to put your ball back? Most of you, I think, will not. … What you’re saying is, “I’m in the luckiest 1% of the world right now."
This is an extension of Rawls' veil of ignorance idea.
So, the problem becomes, How do you eliminate the extreme fortune and misfortune that comes with being born a certain way?
Given the enormous magnitude of this problem, one needs to have realistic goals in mind. No one man or woman can fix this problem by themselves. However, meaningful progress can be made by individuals and collectives, and it would be unethical not to try.
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