Why is this talked about so little?
Thinking about how our decisions affect future beings is something new and rarely discussed. The author points to two reasons.
Two blind spots
- Forgetting those who aren't human. Because of speciesism, when people talk about the future, they almost always think only about how humans will be affected.
- Forgetting the future. When people choose which problems to prioritize, they think about the beings who exist now or in the near future.
Double neglect
These two blind spots combine into a double neglect:
- many people who think about the future forget about animals;
- many people who think about animals forget about the future.
How to fight this
The answer is to stand up for both things together:
- consideration for all sentient beings;
- concern for the long-term future.
These are broad strategies: they work well even without our knowing what the future will be like. They tend to push the future in a better direction in almost any scenario.
Are there risks?
The author also discusses the risks of promoting these ideas, like causing people to reject them if they're badly explained. That's why it's important to explain them carefully.
In short
- The future of sentient beings gets little discussion because of speciesism and a focus on the present.
- This creates a double neglect.
- The solution is to stand up for consideration for all and concern for the future.