What We Owe the Future audiobook cover - A Guide to Ethical Living for the Fate of Our Future

What We Owe the Future

A Guide to Ethical Living for the Fate of Our Future

William MacAskill

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Categories:
PhilosophyTechnology & the Future

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What We Owe the Future
The Core Philosophy of Longtermism+
Moral Trajectories & Value Lock-In+
Existential Risks & Civilizational Collapse+
High-Impact Actions to Safeguard the Future+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 7
According to the concept of longtermism, why do future people deserve our moral consideration?
  • A. Because they will eventually invent technologies to solve our current global crises.
  • B. Because moral progress guarantees they will be more ethical and advanced than we are.
  • C. Because their capacity for pain and joy is equal to ours, and they could vastly outnumber the present population.
  • D. Because focusing on the future is the most effective way to solve immediate, present-day poverty.
Question 2 of 7
What does the historical example of the abolition of slavery illustrate about moral progress?
  • A. Moral progress is not inevitable and often depends on specific activism and converging historical factors.
  • B. Moral progress is an inevitable evolutionary force that corrects all unethical practices over time.
  • C. Moral progress relies primarily on the invention of new technologies to replace human labor.
  • D. Moral progress demonstrates that ancient value systems rarely persist into the modern era.
Question 3 of 7
Why is Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) considered a significant threat regarding 'value lock-in'?
  • A. It will likely destroy all human digital archives, erasing our current moral philosophies.
  • B. It is potentially immortal and could be used by its creators to permanently enforce a specific moral worldview.
  • C. It requires massive amounts of fossil fuels, which will accelerate climate change and societal collapse.
  • D. It will inevitably develop its own unpredictable moral code that humans cannot understand or control.
Question 4 of 7
According to the text, why might the depletion of fossil fuels pose a severe existential risk to humanity?
  • A. Without fossil fuels, humanity might be unable to re-industrialize and recover from a civilizational collapse.
  • B. It will force humanity to rely on untested nuclear technologies that could cause extinction.
  • C. It will lead to the immediate collapse of global agricultural supply chains and mass starvation.
  • D. The transition to renewable energy will inevitably cause global economic collapse.
Question 5 of 7
How does the author compare personal lifestyle changes, such as going vegetarian, to targeted financial donations?
  • A. Personal lifestyle changes are the most robustly good actions a person can take to influence the long-term future.
  • B. Both are equally necessary and have roughly the same measurable impact on carbon emissions.
  • C. Going vegetarian is more impactful because it directly influences the moral values of future generations.
  • D. Targeted donations to effective charities have an exponentially higher positive impact on global issues than personal lifestyle changes.
Question 6 of 7
Why does the author argue that having children is a high-impact decision that benefits the future?
  • A. Having children guarantees that your specific moral values will be locked in for future generations.
  • B. A growing population helps prevent technological stagnation by increasing the number of innovators and problem-solvers.
  • C. It is the only way to ensure humanity survives the inevitable depletion of fossil fuels.
  • D. Children naturally consume fewer resources than adults, lowering humanity's overall carbon footprint.
Question 7 of 7
What actionable advice does the author give regarding one's career?
  • A. Commit to a single, high-paying career early on so you can donate the maximum amount of money to charity.
  • B. Avoid careers in technology and economics, as they are the most likely to cause negative value lock-in.
  • C. Treat your career as an iterative, scientific process where you research, test hypotheses, and update your path over time.
  • D. Choose a career solely based on what is closest to your heart, regardless of its global impact.

What We Owe the Future — Full Chapter Overview

What We Owe the Future Summary & Overview

What We Owe the Future (2022) makes the case for longtermism –⁠ the idea that people today have an obligation to create a good future for successive generations. Using philosophical reasoning, historical anecdotes, and social science research, it argues that the current moment could decide whether future people will live happy, flourishing lives or extraordinarily miserable ones. By carefully considering our actions with respect to issues like AI safety, biotechnology, and value lock-in, we increase the chances that future people will thrive –⁠ just as many of us do, now, thanks to people from the past.

Who Should Listen to What We Owe the Future?

  • Activists and charity donors who want to maximize the good they do
  • People interested in moral philosophy and ethics 
  • Anyone concerned about the future of humanity

About the Author: William MacAskill

William MacAskill is a philosopher and ethicist working as an associate professor and senior research fellow at the University of Oxford. He co-founded three organizations: Giving What We Can, the Center for Effective Altruism, and 80,000 Hours, all of which aim to produce long-term social and economic impact. He is also the co-author of Moral Uncertainty, a book about decision-making, and the author of Doing Good Better, about effective altruism.

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