What would count as progress
A comparison method that people holding different moral frameworks accept as fair for at least some pairs of causes, with the pairs it can’t compare stated openly.
Why it matters
Every choice between two causes is an exchange rate, whether or not anyone writes it down. Writing it down lets people argue about it.
Where to start
Health economics already compares treatments with quality- and disability-adjusted life years. Wellbeing research proposes life-satisfaction measures. Each scale carries a moral framework inside it. The work is to map which scales each framework accepts and where every scale breaks down. Charitology’s frameworks data is a place to begin.