Longtermism

Longtermism^[1][2] is a philosophy that future lives matter and that we have a similar obligation to them as we do to lives around currently. William Macaskill states it in three clauses^[3]: 

• Future people count
• There could be a lot of them
• We can make their lives better

[broad description of philosophy, something about WWOTF]

Criticisms and responses

• Longermism suffers from all the standard criticism of consequentialism
  • Response: Longtermism doesn't require consequentialist assumptions. Many individuals and societies have felt an obligation towards their decendents
  • Response: Many criticisms of consequentialism are baseless [[criticisms of consequentialism]]
  •  
• Longtermism could be used to justify not caring about the world now
  • This is partially true
  •  
• Future lives don't exist, how could we care about them
• Something about Bostrom
• Something about ripples in a pond
• Something about Hanson
• Longtermism is unaccountable
• Lontermist thinkers have skeletons in their closets
• A future that doesn't deal with current suffering is not one some people want to live in

1. ^{^}

   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longtermism 

2. ^{^}

   https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20220805-what-is-longtermism-and-why-does-it-matter

3. ^{^}

   https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/05/opinion/the-case-for-longtermism.html