‘This book is a monumental event. William MacAskill is one of the most important philosophers alive today, and this is his magnum opus.’

What We Owe The Future
A Million-Year View
William MacAskill‘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.
Reviews
‘No living philosopher has had a greater impact upon my ethics than Will MacAskill. And much of the good I now do is the direct result of his influence. In What We Owe The Future, MacAskill has transformed my thinking once again, by patiently dismantling the lazy intuitions that rendered me morally blind to the interests of future generations. This is an altogether thrilling and necessary book.’
‘I was captivated by MacAskill’s rolling out of the possibilities of a longtermist approach to the now. It is vital to do as he does, to take ethics out of the safety of lecture-hall thought experiments, paradoxes and what-ifs and into the turbulent real world, where the dynamic winds of history blow and where is massing on the horizon that monstrous, swelling tsunami that we call the future. This is 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.’
'Whether he’s arguing that having children is on balance a positive thing to do for the planet’s future, or advising us to pay more attention to how our career choices can help us play a part, he’s never less than compelling. And indeed since I read it, I’ve scarcely stopped thinking about it.'
‘An optimistic look at the future that moved me to tears’
‘Many books promise a new “big idea”, but few deliver one as brilliant as MacAskill’s in What We Owe The Future. A fascinating, profound read.’
‘What We Owe The Future brilliantly shows us the biggest picture of all and persuasively reminds us of the vast impact we can all have.’
‘What We Owe The Future makes the case for thinking seriously about the very long term. It gives a profoundly new perspective on human civilization and our place in it.’
‘There are moments when we can change outcomes easily, but if we don’t bend those curves right then, we can lock in enormous longterm damage. This fascinating book makes us think relentlessly and usefully about such pivot points; few prods could be more important.’
‘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.’
‘The decisions we make this century are like no other; either we go extinct by our own hand, or we lay the path to the stars. What We Owe The Future is our guidebook to navigating this critical moment.’
‘A brilliant book that makes clear both how much is at stake when it comes to the long term, and the incredible opportunities we have to shape it. It has changed how I think about my time on earth.’