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Letter: In defence of practising effective altruism

Published 4 February 2026

From Thomas White, Sydney, Australia

I was saddened to see effective altruism included in “The 5 worst ideas of the 21st century”. The idea in question is simply that when we give, we should try to do so thoughtfully, using evidence and reasoning to help others more effectively. In a century where many bright-sounding ideas have soured, from the gig economy to wellness optimisation, criticising the notion of giving more consciously is a strange choice (24 January, p 28).

Issue no. 3581 published 7 February 2026

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