Effective altruism is a social movement that seems to have unique characteristics, which does not replace any previously existing one. By focusing on the rational development of public altruistic behavior, it affects one of the basic elements of prosocial human behavior.
There are many conceptions of the civilizing process, but the most lucid and most concise in its communicative expression follows the simple idea of old Freud: control of instinct. And more properly, of the aggressive instinct, necessary in all social mammals... absolutely useless and counterproductive in Homo sapiens.
The end of the historical period demands the end of political changes and that social changes occur from now on by non-political means. To do this, it is necessary to put in place mechanisms to improve prosocial behavior that allow the internalization of patterns of non-aggressive, altruistic behavior that generate human relationships of complete trust. At the beginning, given their demands, these mechanisms will probably take a similar form, to a certain extent, to Christian communitarianism - a morally influential minority - based on principles of charity, mutual love and non-violence... only based now on a rational examination of human reality informed by the social sciences.
It is doing with religion what was already done at the time with astrology - which gave rise to astronomy - and with alchemy - which gave rise to chemistry. Even what was done with the "natural philosophy" of an Aristotle, which gave rise to Newtonian science.
There are no precedents for a social change movement of this type. Nor was there any for Effective Altruism until a few years ago.
As in all social change movements, the basic principle for its implementation is in the motivational sphere of the individuals who integrate it.
1-Motivation to live in a human (subcultural) environment of zero aggression.
2-Effective altruism
3-Making the world a better place etc (prosocial humanist ideology)
Changing paradigms is very difficult, all new ideas face a lot of resistance (prejudice), but this is the right forum where there is at least a chance that a new idea, which can be very beneficial, is discussed and understood.
