Person
Every book Will MacAskill recommended on podcasts
Will MacAskill appears on discussion-driven platforms like Modern Wisdom and The Joe Rogan Experience to explore existential risk, long-termism, and the moral obligations current generations hold toward the future of humanity. Throughout these conversations, MacAskill engages with various seminal texts that examine societal collapse and ethical philosophy. Alongside discussions of his own work, he analyzes Toby Ord's The Precipice, exploring the critical threats facing human survival. To illustrate the dangers of value lock-in and extreme ideological control, MacAskill references George Orwell's dystopian classic 1984 as well as Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale. Additionally, during his appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience, Joe Rogan brings up Peter Singer's Animal Liberation, with both acknowledging the book as a foundational text that sparked the modern animal rights movement. By weaving these works into his broader philosophical arguments, MacAskill highlights the severe consequences of historical ideologies while encouraging listeners to think deeply about ethics, suffering, and the long-term trajectory of civilization.
Books recommended by Will MacAskill
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1984
1984 by George Orwell is a classic dystopian novel depicting a totalitarian regime characterized by extreme government surveillance, historical negationism, and psychological manipulation.
Discussed“depending on what that ideology is like could be very bad indeed you know some something like what you got in 1984 George Orwell with the handmaid's tale Mark outward”
Where to get it
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Animal Liberation
Animal Liberation by Peter Singer is a foundational text in animal rights philosophy that critically examines the ethics of modern farming and meat consumption.
Discussed“going back to Peter Singo where um you said the animal Liberation which was the name of his book which was kind of text you know founding text for what became the animal rights movement”
Where to get it
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The Handmaid's Tale
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood is a classic dystopian novel depicting a totalitarian society where women's rights are stripped away and fertile individuals are forced into reproductive servitude.
Discussed“depending on what that ideology is like could be very bad indeed you know some something like what you got in 1984 George Orwell with the handmaid's tale Mark outward”
Where to get it
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The Precipice
The Precipice by Toby Ord is a rigorous philosophical and scientific assessment of existential risks that threaten the future survival of human civilization.
Discussed“uh where number one among those which Toby talks about at length and where you know you can see the precipice and what we owe the future”
Where to get it
Books Will MacAskill wrote
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| How Long Could Humanity Continue For? - Will MacAskill - #512 | Modern Wisdom | 2022-08-13 | 3 |
| #930 - Will MacAskill | The Joe Rogan Experience | 2017-03-13 | 1 |
Other mentions (1: passing, ad reads, own books)
“That's my second book, but it's for academics, so it's never going to get read quite as widely as Doing Good Better.”