Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas 207 | William MacAskill on Maximizing Good in the Present and Future
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Aug 15, 2022 
William MacAskill, a prominent philosopher and author of "What We Owe the Future," dives into the philosophy of longtermism, urging us to consider our impact on future generations. He addresses the ethics of our actions today and challenges the prioritization of immediate benefits over the long-term well-being of humanity. MacAskill also explores the limitations of democracy in planning for the future and emphasizes the moral imperatives of effective altruism in making responsible choices that benefit society and the generations to come.
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Temporal Discounting vs. Longtermism
- Temporal discounting, often used in economics, undervalues future benefits and harms.
- Longtermism argues against this, emphasizing that future lives should be valued similarly to present lives.
Obligations to Future Generations
- William MacAskill acknowledges we have extra reasons to care about the present generation, like special relationships and reciprocity.
- However, future people deserve at least what we owe present strangers, significantly impacting our moral actions.
Engineered Pandemics: A Looming Threat
- The risk of engineered pandemics, where new viruses are created or existing ones upgraded, is a growing concern.
- While the likelihood of total extinction is low, it's comparable to other risks we take seriously, warranting societal action.
