What We Owe The Future

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

‘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.’

'Fascinating… a work of advocacy rather than philosophy and as such it is a good and useful read.'

'A social history of extraordinary scope, coupled with a haunting yet triumphant look to the future… a grand tour into tomorrow…'

‘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.’

'Riveting… there is nothing familiar or predictable about this book. It challenges readers to reorganise their whole conceptual schema. It is part technical philosophy, part science fiction and part rallying cry.'

‘Should we care about people who don’t yet exist – the billions who will live in the future? Or is it better to help people living now? This mind-bending, eon-hurtling, visionary, masterful book raises questions that are among the most crucial we face as a species. MacAskill makes a moral case for the future that is urgent, clear, and utterly convincing.’

‘I expected William MacAskill to write a forceful and persuasive argument for caring more about future people and this book did not disappoint. But it’s so much more – What We Owe The Future is an engaged and deeply original exploration of questions ranging from the contingency of moral progress, to the perils of AI, to the very nature of a happy and fulfilled life. It’s an important, stimulating, and delightful book.’