Person

Every book Thomas Moynihan recommended on podcasts

Key facts

  • Thomas Moynihan has recommended or discussed 2 books on podcasts, as of April 10, 2021.
  • Thomas Moynihan has talked about books on 1 podcast, as of April 10, 2021.
  • Those books came up in 1 episode, as of April 10, 2021.
  • The 2 books Thomas Moynihan has mentioned in the most episodes, as of April 10, 2021: Reasons and Persons and The Precipice.
  • The latest episode with a book mention from Thomas Moynihan aired on April 10, 2021.

Updated

Guest on Modern Wisdom · 2 books · 1 episode across 1 podcast

Thomas Moynihan appears on Modern Wisdom to discuss the history of existential risk, long-termism, and the philosophical implications of human survival. During the episode, Thomas brings up Derek Parfit's influential 1980s work 'Reasons and Persons,' highlighting its voluminous, meticulous tone and its detailed engagement with complex ethical philosophy to explain arguments surrounding the asymmetry of human extinction. Thomas also examines Toby Ord's book 'The Precipice,' identifying it as a foundational text for contemporary long-termism and existential risk studies. Through these references, Thomas maps out the intellectual lineage of how humanity evaluates its own future, weighing distant catastrophes and moral obligations to future generations. His discussion centers on rigorous academic frameworks, ethical theory, and the philosophical weight of safeguarding civilization against terminal threats. Thomas demonstrates how specialized philosophical literature frames our modern understanding of existential dangers and shapes the nascent field of long-termist thought, providing listeners with a clear view of the texts that define humanity's most consequential long-range dilemmas.

Books Thomas Moynihan recommended or discussed

Who said what is our best reading of each episode. In hand-checked samples, at least 6% of mentions were credited to the wrong speaker, sometimes an interviewer’s line recorded as the guest’s, sometimes the reverse. Every entry below quotes the words and links to the episode, so you can check it.

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  1. Reasons and Persons

    Derek Parfit · Discussed · 1 episode

    Reasons and Persons by Derek Parfit is a landmark work of analytic philosophy that explores personal identity, utilitarianism, population ethics, and moral obligations to future generations.

    Discussed
    “so in the in the 80s uh he wrote this uh book called reasons and persons uh and it's you know this kind of voluminous uh meticulous tone of uh you know kind of um uh very detailed ethical philosophy”
    Where to get it
  2. The Precipice

    Toby Ord · Discussed · 1 episode

    The Precipice by Toby Ord is a comprehensive examination of existential risks and the future of humanity, assessing the various perils that could threaten the survival of civilization.

    Discussed
    “and i i the precipice toby also precipice is kind of the the um i guess the founding uh text of this”
    Where to get it

Books Thomas Moynihan wrote

Appearances

EpisodePodcastDateBooks
A History Of Existential Risk - Thomas Moynihan - #306Modern Wisdom2021-04-102
Other mentions (1: passing, ad reads, own books)
Plugged X-Risk
“yes so i i often get this when uh people uh read my book they they uh are surprised that um it has this well it attempts it attempts to have this this hopeful message”