Summary: The case for strong longtermism

Abstract

Strong longtermism is the view that the far future is more important than the present. This paper argues for two versions of strong longtermism: axiological strong longtermism and deontic strong longtermism. Axiological strong longtermism claims that the far future is the most important factor in determining the value of our actions. Deontic strong longtermism claims that the far future is the most important factor in determining what we should do. The paper argues that both versions of strong longtermism are true, even when we draw the line between the near and far future a surprisingly long time from now, such as a hundred years. The paper also addresses objections to strong longtermism, such as the claim that we are clueless about the far-future effects of our actions and that the case for strong longtermism hinges on tiny probabilities of enormous values. – AI-generated abstract.