Ethics for the Long Now: A Reading List on Effective Altruism, Moral Imagination & Future Stewardship
How can we live today in ways that honor the generations yet to come?
This reading list explores the ethical frameworks, moral philosophies, and strategic foresight needed to shape a future that is not only sustainable, but just and deeply humane. From the urgency of existential risk to the quiet responsibility of being a good ancestor, these books offer tools for long-term thinking, global empathy, and aligned action. Drawing on fields like moral psychology, AI safety, utilitarian ethics, and future studies, the authors invite us to expand our circle of care, across time, geography, and species.
Whether you're an activist, policy maker, or curious citizen of Earth, these works illuminate what it means to live ethically in an interconnected and uncertain world.
1. The Good Ancestor – Roman Krznaric
Krznaric’s The Good Ancestor challenges the tyranny of short-termism in politics, economics, and culture by reintroducing long-term thinking as a moral imperative. With powerful metaphors like the “acorn brain” versus the “marshmallow brain,” the book outlines six ways we can cultivate legacy-minded action, from deep-time humility to intergenerational justice. It's an accessible yet profound guide to reorienting our lives around future stewardship.
2. History for the Future – Roman Krznaric
In this companion work, Krznaric delves into historical examples of long-term thinking and moral courage, offering case studies from abolitionists, indigenous movements, and revolutionary thinkers who shaped social change across centuries. By reframing history not as a static record but a living resource, Krznaric offers inspiration for today’s ethical visionaries working on behalf of tomorrow.
3. The Precipice – Toby Ord
Toby Ord, a philosopher at Oxford’s Future of Humanity Institute, presents a sobering yet strategic assessment of existential risks, from AI misalignment to engineered pandemics and climate collapse. Arguing that we live in a unique and fragile moment for humanity, The Precipice advocates for long-term risk mitigation as an ethical priority. It is a cornerstone text for anyone invested in the survival and flourishing of future generations.
4. What We Owe the Future – William MacAskill
As one of the founding voices of the effective altruism movement, MacAskill’s What We Owe the Future builds on utilitarian reasoning to propose a moral revolution in how we value future lives. He argues that the future could be vast in scale and significance, and that shaping its trajectory may be the most impactful moral endeavor of our time. The book offers concrete pathways, from AI governance to institutional reform, to improve the long-term future.
5. Moral Tribes – Joshua Greene
Blending moral psychology, neuroscience, and ethics, Greene explores why human morality evolved for small-group cooperation and why it struggles at the global scale. Moral Tribes introduces the concept of “metamorality”, a framework to resolve value conflicts between cultures, and argues for utilitarianism as a common moral currency. It’s a critical resource for anyone working at the intersection of local loyalties and global ethics.
6. The Alignment Problem – Brian Christian
In this compelling and accessible exploration of AI ethics, Christian takes readers through the history and future of machine learning with a central question: how do we align artificial intelligence with human values? Through stories of scientists, philosophers, and programmers, the book weaves technical insight with ethical urgency, highlighting the dangers and dilemmas of training machines for a world they may soon co-shape.
7. Building a Better World: Essays on Effective Altruism – Edited by William MacAskill & Hilary Greaves
This curated collection brings together leading thinkers in philosophy, economics, global health, and AI safety to explore the moral and strategic dimensions of effective altruism. Topics range from career choice and cause prioritization to critiques of utilitarian assumptions. Together, the essays create a mosaic of rigorous thought and practical frameworks for those committed to maximizing their positive impact.
