What We Owe The Future : A Million-Year View

What We Owe The Future: A Million-Year View
By William MacAskill

In What We Owe the Future, philosopher and ethicist William MacAskill takes a bold and thought-provoking approach to one of humanity’s most pressing questions: What kind of future do we want to create, and how should we act to ensure it? With a unique million-year perspective, MacAskill explores the long-term consequences of our decisions today, urging readers to consider not just the immediate impact, but the far-reaching legacy of our actions on future generations.

In this groundbreaking book, MacAskill explores the moral responsibility we have to both present and future generations, arguing that our choices today will echo far beyond our lifetimes—perhaps for centuries, millennia, or even longer. With a combination of philosophical insight, ethical reasoning, and practical recommendations, this book calls for a new way of thinking about how we shape the future.

Key Features:

• A Revolutionary Perspective on Time and Ethics: Rather than focusing solely on the short-term, What We Owe the Future encourages readers to think long-term, considering the profound effects of our actions over the next few centuries and millennia. This “million-year view” challenges us to recognize the significance of future generations—those who will live long after we’re gone—and to act accordingly.
• Ethical Framework for Long-Term Impact: MacAskill introduces a fresh, rigorous ethical framework for how we should weigh decisions that will affect the future. His approach includes concepts from effective altruism, moral philosophy, and risk management to guide our actions in ensuring a positive future for humanity.
• Focus on Global Catastrophic Risks: One of the key themes in the book is global catastrophic risks, such as climate change, pandemics, and nuclear threats. MacAskill argues that these existential risks pose a unique challenge, as they have the potential to permanently harm or even eliminate humanity. The book outlines how reducing such risks is a moral imperative for safeguarding the future.