What do we owe future humans?

In 'Living High and Letting Die', Peter Unger argues that individuals in affluent societies have a moral duty to make significant sacrifices to mitigate suffering and premature death in less fortunate parts of the world. He challenges conventional moral intuitions through thought experiments, suggesting that psychological factors often obscure true moral values. Unger advocates for a more compassionate moral philosophy, emphasizing the need to act in accordance with our moral commitments.

In this book, William MacAskill advocates for longtermism, the idea that positively influencing the long-term future is a key moral priority. He argues that future people count, there could be many of them, and we can make their lives better. MacAskill discusses various threats to humanity, including climate change, AI misalignment, and pandemics, and proposes strategies to ensure civilization's survival and improve its trajectory. The book explores moral and philosophical issues surrounding longtermism, including the risks of human extinction, civilizational collapse, and technological stagnation, while offering a measured optimism about the future's potential for human flourishing.

In 'Famine, Affluence, and Morality,' Peter Singer presents a compelling argument that individuals with sufficient resources are morally obligated to donate to humanitarian causes, especially when such actions can prevent suffering without significant personal sacrifice. The essay uses the 'drowning child' analogy to illustrate the moral imperative to act in the face of preventable suffering, regardless of geographical distance.