Should longtermists mostly think about animals?

Abstract

Animal welfare is often considered a short-term cause area within effective altruism, separate from the long-term future. However, this separation overlooks the fact that animals will likely exist far into the future, and their welfare matters. Therefore, animal welfare should be considered when evaluating existential risks and s-risks. If one is a total or negative utilitarian who values animal welfare and believes in strong longtermism, their primary focus should be on the welfare of wild animals over the very long term. Preventing existential risks primarily benefits either future animal life or human life in order to reduce wild animal suffering, depending on one’s moral framework. While some might dismiss wild animal welfare as a top priority, this paper demonstrates that even with conservative estimates, animal welfare considerations vastly outweigh human welfare in a total utilitarian framework. This analysis provides a framework for understanding the significant role of animal welfare in long-term thinking.