Giving Thought

In episode 17, Rhod will be asking whether philanthropy is rational,and what lessons we should take from our answer to this question. Topics covered include:   -The micro/macro philanthropy paradox: Philanthropy is both about individual voluntary acts of generosity and about the large scale redsitribution of private assets for public good. But while the former is largely irrational, the latter needs to be rational. What can policymakers and philanthropists do about this?   -Rationalising philanthropy: There have been efforts to rationalise philanthropy in the past, such as the "scientific philanthropy" movement of the Victorian era. There is also a growing focus on the role data can play in helping donors make more informed decisions. Bringing these together, the Effective Altruism proposes a scientific approach to philanthropy based on data- but is it truly objective?   -Social Impact prediction markets: could new technologies like blockchain make it easier to measure and record social impact data accurately