William MacAskill: belief

Transcript context

…I want you to, to be clear, but I’m asking what you think. Obviously something I’ve thought deeply about, and I do want to say that people, in general, should make their own reproductive choices. In my own case, it is pretty striking that I am now engaged in all of these projects that bring me very large amounts of meaning. Then, when I think about, would I have the reason that many people, I think, are drawn to having kids — to have additional meaning in their lives — it’s not something that appeals to me, like really motivates me. I think I do have this extra responsibility when thinking about major decisions in my life, like, if I have kids, what is the impact of that on the world? On the one hand, it would take time away from other things I could be doing. On the other hand, perhaps it’s good. I do think it’s good to have a family. Perhaps that’s a good signaling thing. I do think those are relevant considerations. In my own case, it’s at least, having a family is never something I’ve been particularly drawn to or excited about, so it’s currently not my plan. I think the fact that that will help me do more good in the world is a benefit, too. Here’s a very simple, practical question. Let’s say I’m a skilled lawyer, and I’m more or less a generalist. I could do a lot of different things, and I want to do some pro bono work for effective altruism. What should I actually do?…

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