What We Owe the Future

William MacAskill is quickly becoming one of my favorite contemporary Philosophers for his pragmatic and formulaic approach to applying philosophy to modern problems. He reminds me a lot of Carl Sagan in his approach to expounding on the big picture and man’s place in it. Which is why it’s disappointing that some professional philosophers miss his effort for want of completing a perfect theory. A consistent thread of nihilistic philosophy that is rooted dominates the current journals and books. The authors operating in fear of the horror of misapplied philosophies in the hands of flawed men. In contrast, MacAskill builds on some of the ideas of the brave and fresh philosophy from his book, “Doing Good Better.” Exploring the coupling of the foundational values of “do no harm” and “leave things better than you found them” with how we can best impact future outcomes while avoiding values lock in. More specifically, how these first principles applied at a macro scale impact all of humanity present and future. The lived experiences of future people is at the heart of MacAskill’s effort and consistent from beginning to end. Robert Greene detailed the concept of “Plan all the way to the end” in his book “The 48 Laws of Power.” The concepts and frameworks that MacAskill covers in this one reflect that approach a lot. Moreover, he shows how society’s natural propensity for moral inconsistency means we cannot rely on waiting for the moral arc of history to bend towards justice. These frameworks are often the target of derision by other philosophers because they may oversimplify the problem. For me they are what set his brand of philosophy apart. Making it accessible and actionable to everyone not buried in Academia.