khafra comments on SIAI - An Examination - Less Wrong

143 Post author: BrandonReinhart 02 May 2011 07:08AM

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Comment author: wedrifid 04 May 2011 05:56:44AM 2 points [-]

Given that Eliezer earns more than me (or at least did while $AUD wasn't as strong) I am a little curious as to how much he donates to charity? I mean, if he is going to call other to donate...

It's a little trite to say it but there is an underlying topic there of some interest. A balance between conflicting signalling incentives as well as the real practical question of how actual caring works in practice at the extreme end.

Comment author: khafra 04 May 2011 04:56:15PM 8 points [-]

I am a little curious as to how much he donates to charity? I mean, if he is going to call other to donate...

His call takes the form "work where you have a comparitive advantage, and donate the money where it will do the most expected good." In his case, his comparative advantage lines up exactly with his expectation of maximum good, so the only rational way for him to give money to charity is to reduce his salary until further reductions would reduce his efficacy at saving the world.

Which is what he's said he does.

Comment author: wedrifid 05 May 2011 03:56:08AM *  2 points [-]

so the only rational way for him to give money to charity is to reduce his salary until further reductions would reduce his efficacy at saving the world.

Obviously. The interesting question is regarding where the line is where keeping money for yourself is to be preferred to redirecting those resources to world saving. This is a question that anyone who is altruistically minded (or who merely wants to live in the long term) must consider. In Eliezer's case it seems like the line is at about $100k. That line will vary somewhat from person to person but the data point is still of interest.