More Than Good by Effective Altruism Australia

This episode takes on one of the most uncomfortable questions in ethics: whether doing good should be led by emotion, popularity, proximity - or cold, hard impact. Bridget Loughhead, Ray O’Leary and Grace Adams unpack why some causes attract attention while others remain invisible, whether social media has made giving more performative, and what happens when “helping everyone a little” means failing to help anyone enough.\From the famous “Repugnant Conclusion” thought experiment to the brutal logic of saving five strangers over one child you know, this conversation sits in the messy space between compassion and calculation. Can maths tell us how to be moral? Are we drawn to causes because they matter, or because they make us feel heroic? And if impact were invisible, would we still care?A provocative, funny and morally uncomfortable conversation about charity, sacrifice, suffering, and the impossible choices behind trying to do the most good.We are joined by Bridget Loughhead, Head of Community Programs at Effective Altruism AustraliaRay O’Leary, Comedian, writer & TV personalityGrace Adams, CEO of Effective Altruism AustraliaMore Than Good is a new podcast from Effective Altruism Australia.Donate to effective charities: https://effectivealtruism.org.au/donate-podLearn more about effective altruism: https://effectivealtruism.org.au/Sign up to our newsletter: https://effectivealtruism.org.au/newsletter#EffectiveAltruism #Podcast #Ethics #MoreThanGood

What does it actually mean to be a good person?Is it about intention… or impact? Kindness… or sacrifice? And if you knew you could save a life ...would you change how you live?In this episode of More Than Good, we sit down with some of the world’s most thoughtful minds on ethics, philanthropy, and human behaviour:Peter Singer — one of the most influential moral philosophers of our timeGrace Adams — CEO of Effective Altruism AustraliaKrystian Seibert — Executive Director, Policy and Sector Development at Philanthropy Australia and Chair of Mental Health First Aid InternationalTse Yip Fai — researcher and PhD candidate on the intersection of AI and animal ethicsTogether, they unpack the uncomfortable, often confronting questions most of us avoid:Do we have a moral obligation to help others — or is it a personal choice?How much should someone earning “comfortably” actually be giving?If you could save one person you love or reduce suffering for 100 strangers… what would you choose?Can you live a good life and still enjoy wealth, travel, and comfort?We also go deeper into the ideas shaping modern ethical thinking:1) Why most charitable giving doesn’t align with where suffering is greatest.2) The concept of speciesism - and why our moral circle might be too small.3) Why lower-income individuals often give more (proportionally) than the wealthy.4) Whether governments should mandate giving — like India’s 2% CSR rule. 5) What an economy optimised for wellbeing, not profit, might actually look like.This isn’t a feel-good conversation. It’s a reality check. Because once you understand how much good you could do… it becomes harder to ignore what you’re choosing not to do.More Than Good is a new podcast from Effective Altruism Australia.Donate to effective charities: https://effectivealtruism.org.au/donate-podLearn more about effective altruism: https://effectivealtruism.org.au/Sign up to our newsletter: https://effectivealtruism.org.au/newsletter