Is Giving to a Rich University Really a 'Moral Injustice'?

Every movement needs a spokesperson, and the school of "effective altruism," which argues that the most meaningful metric for weighing the value of a philanthropic gift is "lives saved per dollar" is no exception.

We see this argument played out frequently in the arts world, where effective altruists will ask, "How many lives does the opera save?"

Bill Gates, in an interview with the Financial Times, asked why anyone would donate money to build a new museum wing rather than to prevent illnesses that can lead to blindness.