80,000 Hours
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| Founded | October 2011[1] |
|---|---|
| Founders |
|
| Type | Nonprofit organisation |
| Focus | Social impact research and advice |
| Origins | Oxford, England |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Product | Free, evidence-based career advice |
Parent organization | Effective Ventures |
| Website | 80000hours |
80,000 Hours is a London-based
Principles
According to 80,000 Hours, some careers aimed at doing good are far more effective than others. They evaluate problems people can focus on solving in terms of their "scale", "neglectedness", and "solvability", while career paths are rated on their potential for immediate social impact, on how well they set someone up to have an impact later on, and on personal fit with the reader.[4]
The group emphasises that the positive impact of choosing a certain occupation should be measured by the amount of additional good that is created as a result of that choice, not by the amount of good done directly.[5]
It considers indirect ways of making a difference, such as earning to give (earning a high salary in a conventional career and donating a large portion of it), as well as more direct ways, such as scientific research or shaping government policy.
The moral philosopher Peter Singer mentioned in 2013 the example of banking and finance as a potentially high impact career through such donations in his TED Talk, "The why and how of effective altruism," where he discusses the work of 80,000 Hours.[6]
Focus areas
80,000 Hours' primary focus is on advising talented graduates between the ages of 20 and 40.[7]
It advocates longtermism, the view that improving the long-term future is a moral priority, due to the large number of people who will or could exist in the future.[8][9] Accordingly, the organisation spends significant resources considering interventions perceived to have persisting effects over time, such as preventing nuclear warfare or a particularly severe pandemic, improving relations between China and the United States, or enhancing decision-making in large organisations.[10]
Reception
80,000 Hours has recommended earning to give, the practice of pursuing a high-earning career and donating a significant portion of the income to cost-effective charities. This recommendation has been received with some skepticism.[11] Pete Mills argued in the Oxford Left Review that because the likelihood of bringing about social change is difficult to quantify, 80,000 Hours is biased toward quantifiable methods of doing good, such as earning to give.[12] Over time, 80,000 Hours has deemphasised "earning to give", in favour of alternative paths like research, advocacy or policy reform, and begun recommending work on problems that are less easily quantified.[13][14]
Funding
The largest funder of 80,000 Hours has been
See also
References
- ^ a b "Our Mission and History". 80,000 Hours. Retrieved 25 October 2012.
- ^ "FAQ". 80,000 Hours. Archived from the original on 1 November 2012. Retrieved 29 October 2012.
- ^ "Impact investing: the big business of small donors". Euromoney. Retrieved 31 October 2012.
- ^ "Research". 80,000 Hours. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
- ^ Sebastian Farquhar. "The replaceability effect: working in unethical industries part 1". Retrieved 31 October 2012.
- ^ Peter Singer. "The why and how of effective altruism". Retrieved 27 December 2013.
- ^ Todd, Benjamin (November 2019). "Advice on how to read our advice: Our advice is aimed at a particular audience". 80,000 Hours. Archived from the original on 24 December 2019. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
- ^ Todd, Benjamin (October 2017). "If you want to do good, here's why future generations should be your focus". 80,000 Hours. Archived from the original on 24 October 2017. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
- ^ "Our current list of the most important world problems". 80,000 Hours. Archived from the original on 27 June 2016. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
- ISSN 0260-9592.
- ^ Mills, Pete (May 2012). "The Ethical Careers Debate". The Oxford Left Review (7): 4–9. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
- ^ "80,000 Hours thinks that only a small proportion of people should earn to give long term - 80,000 Hours". 80,000 Hours. 6 July 2015. Retrieved 30 November 2017.
- ^ "A list of the most urgent global issues". 80,000 Hours. Retrieved 30 November 2017.
- ^ "Our donors". 80,000 Hours. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
- ^ "Want To Make An Impact With Your Work? Try Some Advice From 80,000 Hours". TechCrunch. 4 August 2015. Retrieved 31 October 2015.