"A Fragment on Government" by Jeremy Bentham - This book introduced the idea that "the greatest happiness for the greatest number is the foundation of morals and legislation," which is a core concept in utilitarianism.
People Mentioned
Peter Singer - Mentioned as the person who introduced Michael Plant to Sam Harris, and as Plant's dissertation advisor. Singer is a prominent philosopher known for his work in applied ethics and effective altruism.
Jeremy Bentham - An English philosopher and social reformer, regarded as the founder of modern utilitarianism. He is quoted as saying, "everyone's happiness matters equally, also count for one and none for more than one."
Thomas Jefferson - One of the American Founding Fathers, mentioned for his view that "the only principle of legitimate government is happiness and the preservation of human life."
Robert Nozick - An American philosopher, mentioned in the context of his "experience machine" thought experiment, which challenges hedonistic utilitarianism.
Aristotle - An ancient Greek philosopher and polymath, referenced when discussing the idea that one has to be living a moral life to be happy.
Daniel Kahneman - A psychologist and economist, known for his work on the psychology of judgment and decision-making, and for distinguishing between the "experiencing self" and the "remembering self."
Amos Tversky - A cognitive and mathematical psychologist, who collaborated with Daniel Kahneman on behavioral economics research, particularly on the "experiencing self" and "remembering self."
Derek Parfit - A British philosopher, known for his work on personal identity, rationality, and ethics, including the "repugnant conclusion" and the "summative view of desire satisfaction."
Nick Bostrom - A Swedish philosopher, known for his work on existential risk, particularly from artificial intelligence. His concept of "moral parliament" is mentioned.
William Wilberforce - A British politician and philanthropist, a leader of the movement to abolish the slave trade. He is mentioned as an example of someone who influenced the long term.
Rory Stewart - A British academic, author, and former politician, mentioned for his view that "cash is best" as an intervention for the poor, based on his experience with philanthropy.
Elon Musk - Referenced in a discussion about the unintended negative consequences of powerful individuals' actions, specifically regarding the "Doge" platform and its impact on global aid.
Organizations & Institutions
Happy Lives Institute - Michael Plant's organization, which focuses on identifying cost-effective ways to increase happiness and well-being.
GiveWell - A non-profit organization that performs in-depth research to find outstanding charities, mentioned for its focus on maximizing the impact of donations.
British Army Reserves - Michael Plant briefly mentions his past experience with the British Army Reserves as a source of personal experience sampling.
US General Social Survey - The first national survey of happiness, initiated in 1972, marking the beginning of large-scale happiness measurement.
Salesforce Tower - A prominent skyscraper in San Francisco, used as a reference point for visualizing the disparity between wealth and homelessness.
Pure Earth - A charity mentioned for its work in advocating for the removal of lead from cosmetics, particularly in Ghana.
Ty M.A.R.C.O. - An organization mentioned for its work on acute malnutrition, which has a long-term impact on well-being.
StrongMinds - A charity that provides group therapy for treating depression, found to be highly cost-effective in increasing happiness.
Friendship Bench - A mental health initiative that provides peer-to-peer talking therapy, also found to be highly cost-effective.
Oxfam - A large charity mentioned as an example of a "multi-armed NGO" with numerous programs, making it difficult to assess its overall effectiveness.
Guide Dogs for the Blind - A charity that provides guide dogs to visually impaired individuals, used as an example to compare the cost-effectiveness of different interventions.
British Library - The location of a debate Michael Plant participated in regarding the impact of AI on happiness.
Research & Studies
World Happiness Report - An annual publication that measures and ranks happiness levels in countries around the world. Michael Plant's team contributed research to this report.
"Objective Happiness" (Daniel Kahneman paper) - A paper by Daniel Kahneman discussing the concept of objective happiness.
Randomized Control Trials (RCTs) with Subjective Well-being Data - Methodological approach used by the Happy Lives Institute to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions like cash transfers and therapy by measuring changes in self-reported happiness.
Cost-effectiveness analysis of happiness - The core research methodology of the Happy Lives Institute, aiming to quantify the amount of happiness generated per unit of money spent on various interventions.
Deworming studies - Research on the impact of deworming interventions, which, according to Michael Plant, do not show a clear positive effect on subjective well-being in the long term, despite being considered effective in other metrics.
Lead in cosmetics research - Research conducted by the Happy Lives Institute on the impact of removing lead from cosmetics, particularly in Ghana, showing a significant positive effect on well-being.
Websites & Online Resources
Happier Lives Institute (happierlivesinstitute.org) - Michael Plant's organization, where listeners can find recommendations for charities and donate to the Happier Lives Fund.
