A major difference between effective altruism and utilitarianism is that effec-tive altruism is a practical project, not a moral theory. Effective altruists note that this status as a practical project makes effective altruism less vulnerable to some objections to utilitarianism, such as the objection that utilitarianism is too demanding. However, this status might also make effective altruism more vul-nerable to other objections to utilitarianism, such as the objection that utilitari-anism is an “esoteric” moral theory that implies that nobody should accept it in practice. Plausibly, a moral theory can have this feature and still be correct. Can a practical project have this feature and still be correct? If so, why? If not, then a lot might depend on whether effective altruism is, in fact, esoteric in this sense. This paper examines how utilitarians reply to this objection and how effective altruists might be able to reply to it.

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