I don’t think I’m a proponent of strong longtermism at all — at least not on the definition given in the earlier draft of Will and Hilary’s paper on the topic that got a lot of attention here a while back and which is what most people will associate with the name. I am happy to call myself a longtermist, though that also doesn’t have an agreed definition at the moment.
Here is how I put it in The Precipice:
Considerations like these suggest an ethic we might call longtermism, which is especially concerned with the impacts of our actions upon the longterm future. It takes seriously the fact that our own generation is but one page in a much longer story, and that our most important role may be how we shape—or fail to shape—that story. Working to safeguard humanity’s potential is one avenue for such a lasting impact and there may be others too.
My preferred use of the term is akin to being an environmentalist: it doesn’t mean that the only thing that matters is the environment, just that it is a core part of what you care about and informs a lot of your thinking.
I’m also not defending or promoting strong longtermism in my next book. I defend (non-strong) longtermism, and the definition I use is: “longtermism is the view that positively influencing the longterm future is among the key moral priorities of our time.” I agree with Toby on the analogy to environmentalism.
(The definition I use of strong longtermism is that it’s the view that positively influencing the longterm future is the moral priority of our time.)
Thanks Will—I apologize for mischaracterizing your views, and am very happy to see that I was misunderstanding your actual position. I have edited the post to clarify.
I’m especially happy about the clarification because I think there was at least a perception in the community that you and/or others do, in fact, endorse this position, and therefore that it is the “mainstream EA view,” albeit one which almost everyone I have spoken to about the issue in detail seems to disagree with.
I don’t think I’m a proponent of strong longtermism at all — at least not on the definition given in the earlier draft of Will and Hilary’s paper on the topic that got a lot of attention here a while back and which is what most people will associate with the name. I am happy to call myself a longtermist, though that also doesn’t have an agreed definition at the moment.
Here is how I put it in The Precipice:
My preferred use of the term is akin to being an environmentalist: it doesn’t mean that the only thing that matters is the environment, just that it is a core part of what you care about and informs a lot of your thinking.
I’m also not defending or promoting strong longtermism in my next book. I defend (non-strong) longtermism, and the definition I use is: “longtermism is the view that positively influencing the longterm future is among the key moral priorities of our time.” I agree with Toby on the analogy to environmentalism.
(The definition I use of strong longtermism is that it’s the view that positively influencing the longterm future is the moral priority of our time.)
Thanks Will—I apologize for mischaracterizing your views, and am very happy to see that I was misunderstanding your actual position. I have edited the post to clarify.
I’m especially happy about the clarification because I think there was at least a perception in the community that you and/or others do, in fact, endorse this position, and therefore that it is the “mainstream EA view,” albeit one which almost everyone I have spoken to about the issue in detail seems to disagree with.
That’s super helpful to see clarified, and I will edit the post to reflect that—thanks!