The Long-Termist and Existential Risk Frameworks

5min Snip

00:00

Play full episode

Summary

Transcript

Episode notes

The long-termist and existential risk frameworks, they really have roots in transhumanism. And McKibben has been a vociferous critic of transhumanism so it's perplexing that he actually blew up the book. The rollout of the book, there was a lot of anticipation, a lot of planning that went into ensuring that this reaches the maximum number of people. But as I mentioned earlier, activism oftentimes has come before research and sort of outstripped by professional philosophers. So my main push right now is to try to meet them in the public square and do what I can at least inform people just how radical these ideas are.

Paris Marx is joined by Émile P. Torres to discuss the ongoing effort to sell effective altruism and longtermism to the public, and why they’re philosophies that won’t solve the real problems we face.

Émile P. Torres is a PhD candidate at Leibniz University Hannover and the author of the forthcoming book Human Extinction: A History of the Science and Ethics of Annihilation. Follow Émile on Twitter at @xriskology.

Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.

The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.

Also mentioned in this episode:

Émile recently wrote about the ongoing effort to sell longtermism and effective altruism to the public.
Peter Singer wrote an article published in 1972 arguing that rich people need to give to charity, which went on to influence effective altruists.
NYT recently opined on whether it’s ethical for lawyers to defend climate villains.
Nathan Robinson recently criticized effective altruism for Current Affairs.

Support the show