What We Owe the Future

by William MacAskill

Overview

In this instant New York Times bestseller, a renowned philosopher puts forth the case for longtermism 

The fate of the world – and the future – is in our hands. Now with a new foreword, What We Owe the Future argues for longtermism: that positively influencing the distant future is our time’s key moral priority. It’s not enough to reverse climate change or avert a pandemic. We must ensure that civilization would rebound if it collapsed; counter the end of moral progress; and prepare for a planet where the smartest beings are digital. 

If we make wise choices now, our grandchildren will thrive, knowing we did everything we could to give them a world full of justice, hope and beauty. 

“To take these ideas seriously is a truly radical endeavor — one with the power to change the world and even your life.”—Ezra Klein, New York Times 

“An intellectually thrilling exploration of moral philosophy and human history in the hands of a very skilled thinker and clear writer.”—Kevin J. Delaney, The Charter 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781541604032
Publisher:	Basic Books
Publication date:	09/12/2023
Pages:	368
Sales rank:	195,723
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

William MacAskill is an associate professor in philosophy and senior research fellow at the Global Priorities Institute, University of Oxford. At the time of his appointment, he was the youngest associate professor of philosophy in the world. He has focused his research on moral uncertainty, effective altruism, and future generations. He also cofounded the nonprofits Giving What We Can, the Centre for Effective Altruism, and Y Combinator–backed 80,000 Hours, which together have moved over $300 million to effective charities. He is the author of Doing Good Better and lives in Oxford, England.

Table of Contents

Part I The Long View

Introduction 3

Chapter 1 The Case for Longtermism 9

Chapter 2 You Can Shape the Course of History 29

Part II Trajectory Changes

Chapter 3 Moral Change 47

Chapter 4 Value Lock-In 75

Part III Safeguarding Civilisation

Chapter 5 Extinction 105

Chapter 6 Collapse 121

Chapter 7 Stagnation 143

Part IV Assessing the End of the World

Chapter 8 Is It Good to Make Happy People? 167

Chapter 9 Will the Future Be Good or Bad? 191

Part V Taking Action

Chapter 10 What to Do 223

Acknowledgements 247

Appendices

1 Further Resources 253

2 Terminology 253

3 The SPC Framework 254

4 Objections to Longtermism 257

Figure Credits and Data Sources 263

Notes 265

Index 317

Editorial Reviews

This book will change your sense of how grand the sweep of human history could be, where you fit into it, and how much you could do to change it for the better. It's as simple, and as ambitious, as that.”—Ezra Klein, host of The Ezra Klein Show podcast

“An optimistic look at the future that moved me to tears.”
 —Joseph Gordon-Levitt, actor

“What We Owe The Future makes the case for thinking seriously about the very long term. It gives a profoundly new perspective on human civilization and our place in it.”
 —Lydia Cacho, journalist and author of The Demons of Eden

“What We Owe the Future is an intellectually thrilling exploration of moral philosophy and human history in the hands of a very skilled thinker and clear writer… Thought provoking.”—Charter

“Unapologetically optimistic and bracingly realistic, this is the most inspiring book on ‘ethical living’ I’ve ever read.”—The Guardian (UK)

“In focusing on the interests of future generations stretching into an indefinitely long future, MacAskill has thrust an important and neglected argument into the spotlight, while making it vivid and fun to read. He hopes this book will change the world, and it might.”—Financial Times (UK)

“Touchingly optimistic… With something to ponder on every page, a bracing exhortation to do right by the people of centuries to come.”

—Kirkus

“MacAskill delivers a sweeping analysis of contemporary dangers that masterfully probes the intersections of technology, science, and politics, while offering fascinating glimpses into humanity’s possible futures. This urgent call to action will inspire and unnerve in equal measure.”—Publishers Weekly

“What We Owe the Future is an instructive, intelligent book. It has a lot to teach us about history and the future, about neglected risks and moral myopia.”—Boston Review

“No living philosopher has had a greater impact upon my ethics than Will MacAskill. In What We Owe The Future, MacAskillhas transformed my thinking once again, by patiently dismantling the lazy intuitions that rendered me morally blind to the interests of future generations. This is an altogether thrilling and necessary book.”
 —Sam Harris, five-time New York Times bestselling author and host of the Making Sense podcast

"An exciting new book."—Tyler Cowen, Marginal Revolution

“An extraordinary book. I've never read something so deep and fundamental, and so accessible at the same time . . . The publication of this book is a monumental event. William MacAskill is one of the most important philosophers alive today, and this is his magnum opus.”—Rutger Bregman, Dutch historian and author of Utopia for Realists

“This is a book of great daring, clarity, insight and imagination. To be simultaneously so realistic and so optimistic, and always so damned readable … that is a miracle for which MacAskill should be greatly applauded.”
 —Stephen Fry, actor

"There are moments when we can change outcomes easily, but if we don't bend those curves right then, we can lock in enormous long-term damage. This fascinating book makes us think relentlessly and usefully about such pivot points; few prods could be more important.”
 —Bill McKibben, environmentalist and author of The End of Nature

"Many books promise a new ‘big idea’, but few deliver one as brilliant as MacAskill’s in What We Owe The Future. A fascinating, profound read."
 —Julia Galef, author of The Scout Mindset

“Warning: This book may radically upgrade your ethics and expand your compassion. What We Owe The Future is an inspiring roadmap to how we can try to improve the lives of the billions and trillions sentient beings yet to come. It’s perhaps our greatest moral duty. So please do yourself – and your grandchildren's grandchildren's grandchildren – a favor and read this book.”
 —AJ Jacobs, editor at large of Esquire Magazine

“This mind-bending, eon-hurtling, visionary, masterful book raises questions that are among the most crucial we face as a species. MacAskill makes a moral case for the future that is urgent, clear, and utterly convincing.”
 —Larissa MacFarquhar, staff writer for The New Yorker and author of Strangers Drowning

“To assess what really matters it always helps to zoom out, and Will MacAskill is probably the world’s best zoom-outer. What We Owe The Future brilliantly shows us the biggest picture of all and persuasively reminds us of the vast impact we can all have.” 

—Tim Urban, co-founder of Wait but Why

“I expected William MacAskill to write a forceful and persuasive argument for caring more about future people and this book did not disappoint. But it’s so much more—What We Owe The Future is an engaged and deeply original exploration of questions ranging from the contingency of moral progress, to the perils of AI, to the very nature of a happy and fulfilled life. It’s an important, stimulating, and delightful book.”

—Paul Bloom

From the Publisher

06/13/2022

In this sobering treatise, University of Oxford philosophy professor MacAskill (Doing Good Better) argues that improving humanity’s long-term future is a “key moral priority of our time.” The author contends that the threats posed by artificial intelligence, pandemics, climate change, and nuclear war make the present a pivotal moment in history, and urges readers to combat these threats and “ensure civilization’s survival.” On the many perils facing humanity, the author notes, for instance, that the kinds of engineered pathogens that escaped labs and wrought havoc in high-profile cases in the U.K. and former Soviet Union are going to get increasingly dangerous as biotechnology advances. Confident that humanity has the resources and resilience to deal with these problems, MacAskill suggests that people looking to change the world should evaluate their actions by considering if they would be significant, have long-lasting effects, and address a real need. To create a brighter future, MacAskill encourages eating less meat, donating to good causes, engaging in political activism, and entreating loved ones to adopt a “longtermist perspective.” MacAskill delivers a sweeping analysis of contemporary dangers that masterfully probes the intersections of technology, science, and politics, while offering fascinating glimpses into humanity’s possible futures. This urgent call to action will inspire and unnerve in equal measure. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

William MacAskill presents his philosophical concept of improving the long-term future by prioritizing moral action now. The core principle he espouses is that future people matter, especially considering the potential duration of humanity. Through engaging thought experiments and heavy research, MacAskill has consolidated his theory into an optimistic and compelling performance. War, climate change, and other current threats are discussed, and hopeful solutions are provided in MacAskill’s ear-catching brogue. Each chapter boasts an intriguing discussion, and MacAskill narrates with enthusiasm and patient insight. The otherwise heady philosophical and moral concepts are broken down into a listener-friendly performance, ensuring that the material is accessible to a wide audience. Even those who disagree with “long termism” will appreciate MacAskill’s deep research and thought-provoking narration. J.M.M. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine

JANUARY 2023 - AudioFile

William MacAskill presents his philosophical concept of improving the long-term future by prioritizing moral action now. The core principle he espouses is that future people matter, especially considering the potential duration of humanity. Through engaging thought experiments and heavy research, MacAskill has consolidated his theory into an optimistic and compelling performance. War, climate change, and other current threats are discussed, and hopeful solutions are provided in MacAskill’s ear-catching brogue. Each chapter boasts an intriguing discussion, and MacAskill narrates with enthusiasm and patient insight. The otherwise heady philosophical and moral concepts are broken down into a listener-friendly performance, ensuring that the material is accessible to a wide audience. Even those who disagree with “long termism” will appreciate MacAskill’s deep research and thought-provoking narration. J.M.M. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine

JANUARY 2023 - AudioFile

2022-05-17
Scottish ethicist and Oxford professor MacAskill urges that those alive today consider the lingering effects of their carbon-footprint–deepening actions.

“Future people count. There could be a lot of them. We can make their lives go better,” writes the author in a combination of thought experiment and reader-friendly white paper. His future is “big,” extending millions of years out, which is perhaps touchingly optimistic given the long-standing habit of mammalian species to disappear after a million years or so. The bigness of that future is what has prompted MacAskill to propound “longtermism,” with its challenging guiding idea that we owe it to people we will never see and whom we may or may not have propagated (the choice for childlessness figures in the argument) to improve their chances of survival. The author identifies a daunting array of modern threats. One is climate change; another is the ever present threat of nuclear war, heightened after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Optimistic again, MacAskill suggests that there are ways we can choose peace and avert the worst effects of climate change by “decarbonizing,” which he calls a “proof of concept for longtermism…against which other potential actions can be compared.” There are other, less obvious threats that worry the author. For example, what might happen if the artificial intelligence of the present is programmed in such a way that it promotes “bad-value lock-in” and thereby makes inevitable a perpetual fascist world government in the future? Throughout, MacAskill brings expansive ideas. He examines the process of history-shifting “value change” by considering changing attitudes toward human slavery. On a more personal scale, he advocates vegetarianism, and he observes that not having children may mean an absence of kids with good values who “can be change makers who help create a better future.”

With something to ponder on every page, a bracing exhortation to do right by the people of centuries to come.

Kirkus Reviews