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Timeline of effective altruism

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| {{dts|1971}} || || [[wikipedia:Peter Singer|Peter Singer]] writes his essay "[[wikipedia:Famine, Affluence, and Morality|Famine, Affluence, and Morality]]". It would be published the following year in ''[[wikipedia:Philosophy and Public Affairs|Philosophy and Public Affairs]]''. It argues that affluent persons are [[wikipedia:morality|morally]] obligated to donate far more resources to [[wikipedia:humanitarian aid|humanitarian]] causes than is considered normal in [[wikipedia:Western culture|Western culture]]s. The essay was inspired by the [[wikipedia:starvation|starvation]] of [[wikipedia:Bangladesh Liberation War|Bangladesh Liberation War]] [[wikipedia:refugee|refugee]]s, and uses their situation as an example, although Singer's argument is general in scope and not limited to the example of Bangladesh. The essay is anthologized widely as an example of Western ethical thinking.<ref>{{cite book|last=Cottingham|first=John|title=Western philosophy: an anthology|year=1996|publisher=Wiley-Blackwell|isbn=978-0-631-18627-4|pages=461ff|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=imkTo_sNrKcC&pg=PT473}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Shafer-Landau|first=Russ|title=Ethical theory: an anthology|year=2007|publisher=Wiley-Blackwell|isbn=978-1-4051-3320-3|pages=523ff|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=By9nCkAvS6EC&pg=PT523}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Pojman|first=Louis P.|title=Moral philosophy: a reader|year=2003|publisher=Hackett|isbn=978-0-87220-661-8|pages=344ff|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ILa7WmdUXIMC&pg=PA344}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Wellman|first=Carl|title=Rights and Duties: Welfare rights and duties of charity|year=2002|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-0-415-93987-4|pages=227ff|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OHHZF5kyURUC&pg=PA227}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Chadwick|first=Ruth F.|title=Applied ethics: critical concepts in philosophy. Politics|year=2002|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-0-415-20837-6|pages=272ff|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yk5miXMJH-cC&pg=PA272|author2=Doris Schroeder}}</ref>
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| {{dts|1996}} || || In the 1996 The philosopher [[wikipedia:Peter Unger|Peter Unger]]'s book ''[[wikipedia:Living High and Letting Die|Living High and Letting Die]]''is published. In the book, the philosopher [[wikipedia:Peter Unger|Peter Unger]] wrote writes that it was is morally praiseworthy and perhaps even morally required for people in academia who could earn substantially greater salaries in the business world to leave academia, earn the greater salaries, and donate most of the extra money to charity.<ref name="Unger">{{cite book|last1=Unger|first1=Peter|title=Living High and Letting Die|date=1996|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=Oxford|isbn=0198026811}}<!--|accessdate=20 April 2016--></ref>
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| {{dts|2000}} || || The [[wikipedia:Machine Intelligence Research Institute|Machine Intelligence Research Institute]] is founded. At the time it is called the "Singularity Institute for Artificial Intelligence".<ref name=transparency>{{cite web|url = https://intelligence.org/transparency/|title = Transparency and Financials|publisher = Machine Intelligence Research Institute|accessdate = February 19, 2017}}</ref> || Artificial intelligence
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| {{dts|2005}} || Formation || [[wikipedia:Future of Humanity Institute|Future of Humanity Institute]] is founded by [[wikipedia:Nick Bostrom|Nick Bostrom]].<ref name=newyorker>{{cite journal|journal=[[wikipedia:The New Yorker|The New Yorker]]|first=Raffi|last=Khatchadourian|title=The Doomsday Invention|url=http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/11/23/doomsday-invention-artificial-intelligence-nick-bostrom|pages=64–79|date=23 November 2015|volume=XCI|number=37|issn=0028-792X|publisher=Condé Nast}}</ref>
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| {{dts|2006|6}} || Publication || Brian Tomasik's collection of essays on utilitarianism is first posted to his website at utilitarian-essays.com.
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| {{dts|2006|12}} || Community || [[wikipedia:Seth Baum|Seth Baum]] starts a utilitarian community blog Felicifia.com.<ref>{{cite web |title=Felificia Blog Post List |url=http://utilitarianism.wikia.com/wiki/Felificia_Blog_Post_List |website=Utilitarianism Wiki |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180716035556/http://utilitarianism.wikia.com/wiki/Felificia_Blog_Post_List |archivedate=2018-07-16 |deadurl=no |language=en}}</ref> He had previously had a personal blog under the same name.
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| {{Dts|2007}} || Formation || GiveWell is founded by two former [[wikipedia:Bridgewater Associates|Bridgewater Associates]] investment analysts, [[wikipedia:Holden Karnofsky|Holden Karnofsky]] and Elie Hassenfeld.<ref name=AboutGivewell>{{cite web |url=http://www.givewell.org/about |title=About |publisher=GiveWell |date= |accessdate=2011-09-13}}</ref><ref name=illingworth>Patricia Illingworth, Thomas Pogge, Leif Wenar. ''Giving Well: The Ethics of Philanthropy'', Oxford University Press US, 2011. [https://books.google.com/books?id=-GpuK9OsvN0C&pg=PA124 Pg. 124]</ref><ref>[[wikipedia:Peter Singer|Peter Singer]]. ''The Life You Can Save: Acting Now To End World Poverty'', Random House, 2009. Ch. 6, [https://books.google.com/books?id=gGn4cdxEgvEC&pg=PA81 Pg. 81-104]</ref> || Global health
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| {{Dts|2007}} (late) || Controversy || In late 2007, GiveWell's founders promoted promote the organization on several internet blogs and forums, including [[wikipedia:MetaFilter|MetaFilter]], using [[wikipedia:astroturfing|astroturfing]].<ref name="nytimes1">{{cite news |title=Founder of a Nonprofit Is Punished by Its Board for Engaging in an Internet Ruse |author= Stephanie Strom |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/08/us/08givewell.html|newspaper=[[wikipedia:The New York Times|The New York Times]] |date=8 January 2008 |accessdate=13 September 2011}}</ref> || Global health
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| {{Dts|2010|12|24}} || Publication || Scott Alexander publishes "Efficient Charity: Do Unto Others{{nbsp}}&hellip;" on [[wikipedia:LessWrong|LessWrong]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://lesswrong.com/lw/3gj/efficient_charity_do_unto_others/ |title=Efficient Charity: Do Unto Others... |first=Scott |last=Alexander |publisher=[[wikipedia:LessWrong|LessWrong]] |accessdate=February 26, 2017 |date=December 24, 2010}}</ref>
| {{dts|2011|10}} || Formation || [[wikipedia:80,000 Hours|80,000 Hours]] is founded.<ref name="80k-history">{{cite web | url = http://80000hours.org/our-mission-and-history | title = Our Mission and History | accessdate = 2012-10-25 | publisher = 80,000 Hours}}</ref>
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| {{dts|2011}} (late) || || According to William MacAskill, the name "effective altruism" was is settled upon in late 2011 around this time when the "Centre for Effective Altruism" (CEA) was is chosen as the name for an umbrella organisation that would cover both Giving What We Can and 80,000 Hours.<ref name=history-of-term>{{cite web|url=http://www.effective-altruism.com/ea/5w/the_history_of_the_term_effective_altruism/|title = The history of the term 'effective altruism'|last = MacAskill|first = William|date = March 11, 2014|accessdate = April 11, 2015|publisher = The Effective Altruism Forum}}</ref> This was a largely internal name, but those who had followed a similar approach increasingly converged upon the name.<ref name=history-of-term/>
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| {{dts|2012}} || Formation || Animal Charity Evaluators is founded. || Animal welfare
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| {{Dts|2012|6}} || || GiveWell announces a close partnership with [[wikipedia:Good Ventures|Good Ventures]], the philanthropic foundation tasked with giving away [[wikipedia:Facebook|Facebook]] co-founder [[wikipedia:Dustin Moskovitz|Dustin Moskovitz]]'s wealth. Good Ventures has been one of GiveWell's main funders since then as well as a major donor to GiveWell-recommended charities.<ref name=goodventures-partnership>{{cite web|url=http://blog.givewell.org/2012/06/28/givewell-and-good-ventures/|title = GiveWell and Good Ventures|author = Holden|date = 2012-06-28}}</ref>
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| {{dts|2012|11|27}} || || The first post on Paul Christiano's effective altruism blog, ''Rational Altruist'', is published.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://rationalaltruist.com/2012/11/27/cost-of-carbon-emissions/ |title=Cost of carbon emissions |date=February 24, 2013 |publisher=Rational Altruist |accessdate=April 14, 2019}}</ref>
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| 2013 || || Project || [[wikipedia:Sentience Politics|Sentience Politics]], an "anti-speciesist political think-tank", is founded as a subdivision of the Effective Altruism Foundation.<ref>{{cite web |title=About Our Organization |url=https://sentience-politics.org/about/ |website=Sentience Politics |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180617041413/https://sentience-politics.org/about/ |archivedate=2018-06-17 |deadurl=no |quote=Sentience Politics was founded as a project of the Effective Altruism Foundation (EAF) in 2013.}}</ref>
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| {{Dts|2013|6|30}} to {{Dts|2013|7|6}} || Conference || The Effective Altruism Summit 2013 takes place.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130802184339/http://www.effectivealtruismsummit.com |title=Effective Altruism Summit 2013 - June 30 to July 6, San Francisco |accessdate=February 26, 2017}}</ref>
| {{dts|2015|7|28}} || Publication || {{W|William MacAskill}}'s book ''{{W|Doing Good Better}}'' is published.
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| {{Dts|2016|8|5}}{{snd}}{{dts|2016|8|7}} || Conference || [[wikipediaEA Global:Effective Altruism Global|Effective Altruism Global]] San Francisco 2016 takes place.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.eaglobal.org/events/ea-global-2016/ |title=EA Global: San Francisco 2016 - EA Global |publisher=EA Global |accessdate=April 14, 2019}}</ref>
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| {{dts|2016}} (late, or early 2017) || || EA Ventures closes down.
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| {{dts|2017|6}} || Project || Wild-Animal Suffering Research is split off from Sentience Politics as a separate organization under the Effective Altruism Foundation. Sentience Politics shifts gears to focus exclusively on political campaigns in Switzerland, and gains independence from EAF.<ref>{{cite web|title=Update on the future of Sentience Politics|url=https://ea-foundation.org/blog/update-on-the-future-of-sentience-politics/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180622150519/https://ea-foundation.org/blog/update-on-the-future-of-sentience-politics/<!--https://archive.is/EsjUs-->|archivedate=2018-06-22|deadurl=no|website=Effective Altruism Foundation|date=2 June 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Introducing the Wild-Animal Suffering Research Project|url=https://was-research.org/blog/introducing-wild-animal-suffering-research-project/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180622125314/https://was-research.org/blog/introducing-wild-animal-suffering-research-project/<!--https://archive.is/CSH6o-->|archivedate=2018-06-22|deadurl=no|website=Wild-Animal Suffering Research|date=20 July 2017}}</ref>
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| {{dts|2017|7|2}} || || The Centre for Effective Altruism takes over primary responsibility of the Effective Altruism Forum. Previously, the forum was run by volunteers.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/bwoqzGiz9NNgowsGt/changes-to-the-ea-forum |title=Changes to the EA Forum |publisher=EA Forum |author=Julia Wise |accessdate=April 14, 2019}}</ref>
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| {{dts|2017|8|11}}{{snd}}{{dts|2017|8|13}} || || EA Global San Francisco 2017 takes place.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://sf.eaglobal.org/2017 |title=EA Global San Francisco 2017 - Bizzabo |accessdate=April 14, 2019}}</ref>
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| {{dts|2018|6|8}}{{snd}}{{dts|2018|6|10}} || || EA Global: San Francisco 2018 takes place.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.eaglobal.org/events/ea-global-2018-san-francisco/ |title=EA Global: San Francisco 2018 - EA Global |publisher=EA Global |accessdate=April 14, 2019}}</ref>
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| {{dts|2018|10|17}} || || The open beta of the new Effective Altruism Forum is announced (on the old Effective Altruism Forum).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/qeAEB4cKmbLxYcaHj/open-beta-of-the-new-ea-forum-now-available |author=Julia Wise |title=Open beta of the new EA Forum now available |publisher=EA Forum |accessdate=April 14, 2019}}</ref>
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| {{dts|2018|10}} (between 21st and 28th) || || The Effective Altruism Forum begins redirecting to the new forum, i.e. http://effective-altruism.com/ begins redirecting to https://forum.effectivealtruism.org <ref>{{cite web |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180701000000*/http://effective-altruism.com/ |title=Wayback Machine effective-altruism.com |publisher=Wayback Machine}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/azp95f9kctPubF5gz/forum-moving-to-open-beta-this-week |title=Forum moving to open beta this week |publisher=EA Forum |author=Julia Wise |date=October 15, 2018 |accessdate=April 14, 2019}}</ref>
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| {{dts|2019|1|25}} || Project || Wild-Animal Suffering Research and Utility Farm merge to form the Wild Animal Initiative.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.wildanimalinitiative.org/blog/announcing-wai|title = Announcing WIld Animal Initiative|date = January 25, 2019|accessdate = March 29, 2019}} Cross-posted to https://was-research.org/blog/announcing-wild-animal-initiative/ on the Wild-Animal Suffering Research blog and to https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/jzikTHMSpckYg9ZPp/announcing-wild-animal-initiative on the Effective Altruism Forum. See also the associated discussion on Reddit at https://www.reddit.com/r/EffectiveAltruism/comments/ajr27e/announcing_wild_animal_initiative_wildanimal/</ref>
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| {{dts|2019|6|21}}{{snd}}{{dts|2019|6|23}} || || EA Global: San Francisco 2019 is scheduled to take place.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.eaglobal.org/events/sf2019/ |title=EA Global: San Francisco 2019 - EA Global |publisher=EA Global |accessdate=April 14, 2019}}</ref>
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The initial version of the timeline was written by [[User:Issa|Issa Rice]] (and probably also some editors on Wikipedia, who wrote the parts Issa quoted from other Wikipedia articles; unfortunately the version on Wikipedia was deleted so it's hard to check where the quotes came from).
 
Several rows are taken from [[Timeline of wild animal suffering]].
 
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