The Wire

A Scottish philosopher coined the term “longtermism” to describe the idea “that positively affecting the long-run future is a key moral priority of our time”.

Critics say longtermism relies on making impossible predictions about the future or fails to give present needs the attention they deserve.

But researchers say it would be a mistake to simply dismiss longtermism because even if there is disagreement with some of the answers, we can’t ignore the questions.

The Wire’s Aryana Mohmood spoke with Associate Professor in Philosophy, Australian National University, Professor Katie Steele, about what insights this term can provide.