What We Owe the Future
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- $19.99
Publisher Description
An Instant New York Times Bestseller
“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
An Oxford philosopher makes the case for “longtermism” — that positively influencing the long-term future is a key moral priority of our time.
The fate of the world is in our hands. Humanity’s written history spans only five thousand years. Our yet-unwritten future could last for millions more — or it could end tomorrow. Astonishing numbers of people could lead lives of great happiness or unimaginable suffering, or never live at all, depending on what we choose to do today.
In What We Owe The Future, philosopher William MacAskill argues for longtermism, that idea that positively influencing the distant future is a key moral priority of our time. From this perspective, it’s not enough to reverse climate change or avert the next 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, not human.
If we make wise choices today, our grandchildren’s grandchildren will thrive, knowing we did everything we could to give them a world full of justice, hope and beauty.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
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.
