[Linkpost] “Is Effective Altruism Neocolonial? (an overview of the arguments and counterarguments)” by Bob Jacobs

Cross-posted from my blog

Introduction

In 2009, Zambian economist Dambisa Moyo published Dead Aid, a scathing critique of Western development efforts in Africa. She argued that decades of well-meaning aid had failed not only to lift African countries out of poverty, but had actively undermined their institutions, encouraged corruption, and created a culture of dependence. Aid, she concluded, was not saving Africa, it was holding it back.

Moyo was not the first to make such claims, and she wouldn't be the last. From economists (like William Easterly's The White Man's Burden) to anthropologists (like Jason Hickel's The Divide) a growing body of literature has criticized how foreign assistance, however generous in appearance, can replicate the very hierarchies and dependencies that colonialism once enforced through direct rule.

Today, a new form of philanthropy has emerged: Effective Altruism. EA, as it's known, is a movement built around [...]

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Outline:

(00:18) Introduction

(02:05) What Is Neocolonialism?

(04:03) 1. Does Effective Altruism Keep Poor People Poor?

(06:20) Counterarguments

(08:30) 2. Does EA Keep Poor People Dependent?

(11:57) Counterarguments

(14:02) 3. Does EA Fail To Listen To Poor People?

(17:41) Counterarguments

(18:46) Conclusion

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First published:

July 22nd, 2025

Source:

https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/48Wr4jd7pooKsMzke/is-effective-altruism-neocolonial-an-overview-of-the

Linkpost URL:
https://bobjacobs.substack.com/p/is-effective-altruism-neocolonial

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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

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