What We Owe The Future

Author : William MacAskill
Publisher : Basic Books
Page : 390 pages
File Size : 47,6 Mb
Release : 2022-08-16
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9781541618633

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What We Owe the Future by William MacAskill Pdf

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.

Author : William MacAskill
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
Page : 353 pages
File Size : 45,6 Mb
Release : 2022-09-01
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780861542512

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What We Owe The Future by William MacAskill Pdf

‘A monumental event. William MacAskill is one of the most important philosophers alive today, and this is his magnum opus.’ Rutger Bregman, author of Humankind ‘A book of great daring, clarity, insight and imagination. To be simultaneously so realistic and so optimistic, and always so damned readable… well that is a miracle for which he should be greatly applauded.’ Stephen Fry Humanity is in its infancy. Our future could last for millions of years – 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. As we approach a critical juncture in our history, we can make profound moral decisions about how humanity’s course plays out. We can create positive change on behalf of future generations, to prevent the use of catastrophic weapons and maintain peace between the world’s great powers. We can improve our moral values, navigating the rise of AI and climate change more fairly for generations to come. The challenges we face are enormous. But so is the influence we have. If we choose wisely, our distant descendants will look back on us fondly, knowing we did everything we could to give them a world that is beautiful and just.

Author : William MacAskill
Publisher : Hachette UK
Page : 390 pages
File Size : 55,6 Mb
Release : 2022-08-16
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9781541618633

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What We Owe the Future by William MacAskill Pdf

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.

Author : William MacAskill
Publisher : Guardian Faber Publishing
Page : 272 pages
File Size : 42,6 Mb
Release : 2015-08-04
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9781783350506

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Doing Good Better by William MacAskill Pdf

Almost all of us want to make a difference. So we volunteer, donate to charity, recycle or try to cut down our carbon emissions. But rarely do we know how much of a difference we're really making. In a remarkable re-examination of the evidence, Doing Good Better reveals why buying sweatshop-produced goods benefits the poor; why cosmetic surgeons can do more good than charity workers; and why giving to a relief fund is generally not the best way to help after a natural disaster. By examining the charities you give to, the volunteering you do, the goods you buy and the career you pursue, this fascinating and often surprising guide shows how through simple actions you can improve thousands of lives - including your own.

Author : William MacAskill,Krister Bykvist,Toby Ord
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 237 pages
File Size : 51,8 Mb
Release : 2020
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 9780198722274

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Moral Uncertainty by William MacAskill,Krister Bykvist,Toby Ord Pdf

About the bookToby Ord try to fill this gap. They argue that there are distinctive norms that govern how one ought to make decisions and defend an information-sensitive account of how to make such decisions. They do so by developing an analogy between moral uncertainty and social choice, noting that different moral views provide different amounts of information regarding our reasons for action, and arguing that the correct account of decision-making under moral uncertainty must be sensitive to that. Moral Uncertainty also tackles the problem of how to make intertheoretic comparisons, and addresses the implications of their view for metaethics and practical ethics. Very often we are uncertain about what we ought, morally, to do. We do not know how to weigh the interests of animals against humans, how strong our duties are to improve the lives of distant strangers, or how to think about the ethics of bringing new people into existence. But we still need to act. So how should we make decisions in the face of such uncertainty? Though economists and philosophers have extensively studied the issue of decision-making in the face of uncertainty about matters of fact, the question of decision-making given fundamental moral uncertainty has been neglected. In Moral Uncertainty, philosophers William MacAskill, Krister Bykvist, and Toby Ord try to fill this gap. They argue that there are distinctive norms that govern how one ought to make decisions and defend an information-sensitive account of how to make such decisions. They do so by developing an analogy between moral uncertainty and social choice, noting that different moral views provide different amounts of information regarding our reasons for action, and arguing that the correct account of decision-making under moral uncertainty must be sensitive to that. Moral Uncertainty also tackles the problem of how to make intertheoretic comparisons, and addresses the implications of their view for metaethics and practical ethics.

Author : Minouche Shafik
Publisher : Princeton University Press
Page : 256 pages
File Size : 55,7 Mb
Release : 2021-04-27
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 9780691220277

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What We Owe Each Other by Minouche Shafik Pdf

From one of the leading policy experts of our time, an urgent rethinking of how we can better support each other to thrive Whether we realize it or not, all of us participate in the social contract every day through mutual obligations among our family, community, place of work, and fellow citizens. Caring for others, paying taxes, and benefiting from public services define the social contract that supports and binds us together as a society. Today, however, our social contract has been broken by changing gender roles, technology, new models of work, aging, and the perils of climate change. Minouche Shafik takes us through stages of life we all experience—raising children, getting educated, falling ill, working, growing old—and shows how a reordering of our societies is possible. Drawing on evidence and examples from around the world, she shows how every country can provide citizens with the basics to have a decent life and be able to contribute to society. But we owe each other more than this. A more generous and inclusive society would also share more risks collectively and ask everyone to contribute for as long as they can so that everyone can fulfill their potential. What We Owe Each Other identifies the key elements of a better social contract that recognizes our interdependencies, supports and invests more in each other, and expects more of individuals in return. Powerful, hopeful, and thought-provoking, What We Owe Each Other provides practical solutions to current challenges and demonstrates how we can build a better society—together.

Author : Everest Media,
Publisher : Everest Media LLC
Page : 42 pages
File Size : 55,9 Mb
Release : 2022-08-29T22:59:00Z
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9798350017151

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Summary of William MacAskill's What We Owe the Future by Everest Media, Pdf

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 Your life is made up of many lifetimes, lived consecutively. You experience cruelty and kindness from both sides. The modern era is rare, because it is the only time in your life when you experience such dramatic population growth. #2 The idea of longtermism is that positively influencing the longterm future is a key moral priority of our time. It is about taking seriously just how big the future could be and how high the stakes are in shaping it. #3 I now believe that the world’s long-run fate depends in part on the choices we make in our lifetimes. We can choose to improve the values that guide society, and we can carefully navigate the development of AI. #4 If I'm right, then we have a huge responsibility. We are a small minority compared to everyone who will come after us, but we hold the entire future in our hands. We need to build a moral worldview that takes the longterm implications of our decisions seriously.

Author : William MacAskill
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 54,5 Mb
Release : 2022
Category : Altruism
ISBN : 086154613X

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What We Owe the Future by William MacAskill Pdf

Author : Tim Mulgan
Publisher : OUP Oxford
Page : 396 pages
File Size : 46,9 Mb
Release : 2006-01-05
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780191536038

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Future People by Tim Mulgan Pdf

What do we owe to our descendants? How do we balance their needs against our own? Tim Mulgan develops a new theory of our obligations to future generations, based on a new rule-consequentialist account of the morality of individual reproduction. He argues that the resulting theory accounts for a wide range of independently plausible intuitions - covering individual morality, intergenerational justice, and international justice. In particular, the moderate consequentialist approach is superior to its two main rivals in this area - person-affecting theories and traditional consequentialism. The former fall foul of Parfit's Non-Identity Problem, while the latter are invariably implausibly demanding. Mulgan also claims that most puzzles in contemporary value theory (such as Parfit's Repugnant Conclusion) are actually puzzles in the theory of right action, and can only be solved if we abandon strict consequentialism for a more moderate alternative. The heart of the book is the first systematic exploration of the rule-consequentialist account of the morality of individual reproduction. Mulgan demostrates that this account is superior to all available alternatives, both consequentialist and non-consequentialist. Once we recognise the intergenerational dimension, moral and political philosophy cannot be considered in isolation. The latter must be founded on the former. Rule consequentialism provides the best foundation for a theory of intergenerational justice. Future People brings together several different contemporary philosophical discussions: obligations to future generations, the morality of individual reproduction, the demands of morality, and international justice. While the focus is on developing a new account, there are also substantial discussions of alternative views, especially contract-based accounts of intergenerational justice and competing forms of consequentialism.

Author : T. M. Scanlon
Publisher : Harvard University Press
Page : 433 pages
File Size : 51,8 Mb
Release : 2000-11-15
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780674004238

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What We Owe to Each Other by T. M. Scanlon Pdf

How do we judge whether an action is morally right or wrong? If an action is wrong, what reason does that give us not to do it? Why should we give such reasons priority over our other concerns and values? In this book, T. M. Scanlon offers new answers to these questions, as they apply to the central part of morality that concerns what we owe to each other. According to his contractualist view, thinking about right and wrong is thinking about what we do in terms that could be justified to others and that they could not reasonably reject. He shows how the special authority of conclusions about right and wrong arises from the value of being related to others in this way, and he shows how familiar moral ideas such as fairness and responsibility can be understood through their role in this process of mutual justification and criticism. Scanlon bases his contractualism on a broader account of reasons, value, and individual well-being that challenges standard views about these crucial notions. He argues that desires do not provide us with reasons, that states of affairs are not the primary bearers of value, and that well-being is not as important for rational decision-making as it is commonly held to be. Scanlon is a pluralist about both moral and non-moral values. He argues that, taking this plurality of values into account, contractualism allows for most of the variability in moral requirements that relativists have claimed, while still accounting for the full force of our judgments of right and wrong.

Author : Samuel Scheffler
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 155 pages
File Size : 44,5 Mb
Release : 2018
Category : Generations
ISBN : 9780198798989

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Why Worry about Future Generations? by Samuel Scheffler Pdf

The things we do today may make life worse for future generations. But why should we care what happens to people who won't be born until after all of us are gone? Some philosophers have treated this as a question about our moral responsibilities, and have argued that we have duties of beneficence to promote the well-being of our descendants. Rather than focusing exclusively on issues of moral responsibility, Samuel Scheffler considers the broader question of why and how future generations matter to us. Although we lack a developed set of ideas about the value of human continuity, we are more invested in the fate of our descendants than we may realize. Implicit in our existing values and attachments are a variety of powerful reasons for wanting the chain of human generations to persist into the indefinite future under conditions conducive to human flourishing. This has implications for the way we think about problems like climate change. And it means that some of our strongest reasons for caring about the future of humanity depend not on our moral duty to promote the good but rather on our existing evaluative attachments and on our conservative disposition to preserve and sustain the things that we value. This form of conservatism supports rather than inhibits a concern for future generations, and it is an important component of the complex stance we take toward the temporal dimension of our lives.

Author : Jim Walter
Publisher : Independently Published
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 51,8 Mb
Release : 2022-08-05
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 9798844152962

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A Guide to What We Owe the Future by Jim Walter Pdf

THIS IS NOT A BOOK BY WILLIAM MACASKILL, NOR IS IT AFFILIATED TO HIM. IT IS AN INDEPENDENT PUBLICATION THAT SUMMARIES MACASKILL'S BOOK IN DETAIL. ABOUT THE ORIGINAL BOOK 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.

Author : Toby Ord
Publisher : Hachette Books
Page : 480 pages
File Size : 45,6 Mb
Release : 2020-03-24
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780316484893

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The Precipice by Toby Ord Pdf

This urgent and eye-opening book makes the case that protecting humanity's future is the central challenge of our time. If all goes well, human history is just beginning. Our species could survive for billions of years - enough time to end disease, poverty, and injustice, and to flourish in ways unimaginable today. But this vast future is at risk. With the advent of nuclear weapons, humanity entered a new age, where we face existential catastrophes - those from which we could never come back. Since then, these dangers have only multiplied, from climate change to engineered pathogens and artificial intelligence. If we do not act fast to reach a place of safety, it will soon be too late. Drawing on over a decade of research, The Precipice explores the cutting-edge science behind the risks we face. It puts them in the context of the greater story of humanity: showing how ending these risks is among the most pressing moral issues of our time. And it points the way forward, to the actions and strategies that can safeguard humanity. An Oxford philosopher committed to putting ideas into action, Toby Ord has advised the US National Intelligence Council, the UK Prime Minister's Office, and the World Bank on the biggest questions facing humanity. In The Precipice, he offers a startling reassessment of human history, the future we are failing to protect, and the steps we must take to ensure that our generation is not the last. "A book that seems made for the present moment." —New Yorker

Author : Timmothy Green Beckley,Sean Casteel,Tim R. Swartz
Publisher : Inner Light - Global Communications
Page : 156 pages
File Size : 51,7 Mb
Release : 2016-05-18
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 1606112201

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Nazi UFO Time Travelers: Do We Owe the Future to the Furher? by Timmothy Green Beckley,Sean Casteel,Tim R. Swartz Pdf

BEWARE OF THE NAZI "WONDER WEAPONS" IN OUR SKY! NAZI SCIENTISTS DEVELOP DIE GLOCKE ('THE BELL") A TIME TRAVEL DEVICE WITH THE HELP OF NORDIC-LOOKING STAR BEINGS "We cannot take credit for our record advancements in certain scientific fields alone; we have been helped by the people of other worlds. . . We should think of the craft in the New Mexico desert as more of a time machine than a space craft." Professor Hermann Oberth, Father of Rocketry "We find ourselves faced by powers which are far stronger than we had hitherto assumed, and whose base of operations is at present unknown to us . . . More I cannot say at present. We are now engaged in entering into a closer contact with those powers, and in six or nine months' time it may be possible to speak with more precision on the matter. . ." Wernher von Braun, Circa 1959 "UFOs are not the 'biggest secret.' It is the entities behind them (at Roswell) that was of most concern. . . The entities were not so much interplanetary as much as they were literally also time travelers. . . They are extra-temporal.. . The visitors are clearly from the future. There is reason to believe that they may even be 'us' from a future Earth." Navy Commander George W. Hoover "When WWII ended, the Germans had several radical types of aircraft and guided missiles under development. The majority were in the most preliminary stages, but they were the only known craft that could even approach the performance of objects reported to UFO observers." Captain Edward J. Ruppelt, USAF Project Blue Book Here is evidence that Hitler had a top secret brigade of Nazi engineers working in deep underground laboratories - in conjunction with off world interstellar cosmonauts - to establish space flight and time travel years before the start of America's rocketry program in which the U.S. sought the help of thousands of Nazi war criminals bought into this country under the auspicious of the tight lipped Project Paperclip. Information recently obtained by the authors indicates that the UFO that crashed outside Roswell might have been part of this Nazi space/time travel program cleverly covered up by our military' in order to look like the arrival of an out of control interplanetary vehicle. The top brass ultimately looking to cover their tracks which indicated that they were inappropriately working in tandem with non reconcilable war criminals who had been excused of all evil misdeeds and eventually extending citizenship to. Die Glocke, or The Bell, may well have been used to bend both space and time and give the Nazis the unthinkable power to explore the past freely and even to CONTROL THE FUTURE. Are we plummeting headlong toward a world under fascist domination - a nightmare in which sadistic, jackbooted thugs are waiting for us to "catch up" in time with our own predestined subjugation to open worldwide rule by the Nazis possible hiding out on the surface of the moon or at "secret cities" at the Poles? Do they lie in wait for us as the clock on our freedom runs down?

Author : Massimo Pigliucci
Publisher : Basic Books
Page : 222 pages
File Size : 53,8 Mb
Release : 2022-09-27
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9781541646957

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The Quest for Character by Massimo Pigliucci Pdf

What Socrates’s greatest failure reveals about an ancient question: Can we teach our leaders to be better people? Is good character something that can be taught? In 430 BCE, Socrates set out to teach the vain, power-seeking Athenian statesman Alcibiades how to be a good person—and failed spectacularly. Alcibiades went on to beguile his city into a hopeless war with Syracuse, and all of Athens paid the price. In The Quest for Character, philosophy professor Massimo Pigliucci tells this famous story and asks what we can learn from it. He blends ancient sources with modern interpretations to give a full picture of the philosophy and cultivation of character, virtue, and personal excellence—what the Greeks called arete. At heart, The Quest for Character isn’t simply about what makes a good leader. Drawing on Socrates as well as his followers among the Stoics, this book gives us lessons perhaps even more crucial: how we can each lead an excellent life.