Ezra Klein interviews William MacAskill

Abstract

This work presents the core principles of longtermism, a worldview prioritizing the interests of future people, irrespective of the number of people that may exist in that future. There could be many more people in the future than in the present, and actions today could significantly impact their lives. Three arguments support the significance of these principles: future people matter morally, there could be an enormous number of them, and present actions can influence their future. However, longtermism can seem controversial since many decisions are made without considering future people, and the idea that distant future generations could outnumber the present creates a challenge in balancing current and future interests. Additionally, values can change drastically over time due to factors like increased technological capabilities or moral evolution, making it difficult to determine the best course of action for the distant future. Finally, longtermism raises questions about the moral implications of decisions that affect future generations, highlighting the need for careful consideration of potential consequences. – AI-generated abstract.