Beyond efficiency: Reconciling Singer’s effective altruism with care ethics

Abstract This article reviews Peter Singer’s concept of Effective Altruism (EA) through the lens of care ethics and proposes a preliminary idea for their integration. Singer advocates for maximizing good through efficiency-driven moral practices, such as pursuing high-income careers to increase charitable donations or supporting interventions like farm animal welfare that promise significant measurable impact. However, from the perspective of care ethics (CE), this approach overlooks the importance of personal relationships and emotional bonds. Additionally, its outcome-oriented reasoning may lead to neglecting the most vulnerable groups, potentially sacrificing individual rights in favor of maximizing overall well-being. To ensure that EA evolves and remains relevant, especially in humanitarian work, integrating it with CE presents a promising path forward. By balancing EA’s focus on maximizing impact with CE’s emphasis on relational responsibility, contextual awareness, and emotional engagement, we can develop a more holistic ethical framework for humanitarian action. This integrated approach could also foster a more robust and equitable vision of global development and social justice, one that values both effective outcomes and the dignity and agency of those affected.