The Tim Ferriss Show

#612: Will MacAskill of Effective Altruism Fame — The Value of Longtermism, Tools for Beating Stress and Overwhelm, AI Scenarios, High-Impact Books, and How to Save the World and Be an Agent of Change

Aug 2, 2022

Will MacAskill, an associate professor at the University of Oxford and co-founder of Effective Altruism, dives into impactful topics. He explores existential risks and the importance of human cooperation in addressing societal challenges. The conversation touches on coping strategies for stress and low moods, as well as the ethical implications of AI advancements. MacAskill discusses navigating health choices and the philosophy of longtermism, encouraging listeners to become proactive agents of change for a better future.

01:44:35

Episode guests

William MacAskill

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Quick takeaways

Long-termism emphasizes shaping humanity's future with lasting impacts, prioritizing actions for a flourishing society over millennia.

Value lock-in shows how dominant ideologies shape society over time, impacting cultural evolution.

Long-termism promotes adaptability and resilience for navigating uncertainties, fostering strategic decision-making for sustainable progress.

AI advancements present challenges like misaligned goals and potential loss of control, stressing the need for ensuring alignment with human interests.

Deep dives

Long-termism and Its Importance

Long-termism underscores the significance of shaping the future trajectory of humanity, focusing on events that could have lasting impacts beyond the present generation. It encourages individuals to consider the vast potential of the future, spanning hundreds of millions of years, and to prioritize actions that contribute to a flourishing society over millennia. By adopting a long-term perspective, people are motivated to engage with critical issues like the development of advanced artificial intelligence, catastrophic pandemics, and the risk of a third world war, understanding that these pivotal moments could shape the course of human civilization.

We All Worship - But You Can Choose What

01:39

The Number One Thing I Do

01:58

The Precipice and Anthropological Insights

02:15

Value Lackin

01:27

Intro

5min

Exploring Existential Risks and the Power of Human Cooperation

5min

Cultural Complexity and Existentialism

19min

Balancing Productivity and Self-Care Through Coaching

4min

Navigating Health and Human Futures

28min

AI, Warfare, and Future Challenges

12min

Strategies for Coping with Overwhelm and Low Mood

4min

Navigating the AI Dilemma

19min

Collective Action and Comfort

8min

Will MacAskill of Effective Altruism Fame — The Value of Longtermism, Tools for Beating Stress and Overwhelm, AI Scenarios, High-Impact Books, and How to Save the World and Be an Agent of Change | Brought to you by LinkedIn Jobs recruitment platform with 800M+ users, Vuori comfortable and durable performance apparel, and Theragun percussive muscle therapy devices. More on all three below.

William MacAskill (@willmacaskill) is an associate professor in philosophy at the University of Oxford. At the time of his appointment, he was the youngest associate professor of philosophy in the world. A Forbes 30 Under 30 social entrepreneur, he also cofounded the nonprofits Giving What We Can, the Centre for Effective Altruism, and Y Combinator-backed 80,000 Hours, which together have moved over $200 million to effective charities. You can find my 2015 conversation with Will at tim.blog/will.

His new book is What We Owe the Future. It is blurbed by several guests of the podcast, including Sam Harris, who wrote, “No living philosopher has had a greater impact upon my ethics than Will MacAskill. . . . This is an altogether thrilling and necessary book.”

Please enjoy!

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[07:20] Recommended reading.

[13:26] How Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment changed Will’s life.

[18:12] Maintaining optimism in the age of doomscrolling.

[23:41] What is effective altruism?

[26:04] Resources for maximizing the impact of your philanthropy.

[27:45] How adopting a check-in system has most improved Will’s life.

[32:32] Caffeine limits.

[34:08] Effective back pain relief.

[41:18] What is longtermism, and why did Will write What We Owe the Future?

[43:44] Future generations matter.

[46:42] Finding the line between apathy and fatalism that spurs action toward ensuring there’s a future.

[52:23] What Will hopes readers take away from What We Owe the Future.