Prof Will MacAskill

#17 - Prof Will MacAskill on moral uncertainty, utilitarianism & how to avoid being a moral monster

Prof Will MacAskill, Will MacAskill, Rob Wiblin

Will McCaskill reflects on the transition of the Effective Altruism movement from its origins in GiveWell and Giving What We Can to its current status as a global network, while stepping down as CEO of the Center for Effective Altruism to pursue academic leadership in moral uncertainty research. He argues that decision-making should analogously apply expected value reasoning to moral theories, proposing a "Long Reflection" era where humanity resolves fundamental value questions before committing to irreversible actions. Despite these theoretical advances, McCaskill emphasizes the necessity of addressing critiques regarding justice, institutional bias, and the need for greater diversity to prevent the community from stagnating in groupthink.