Are Humans Good For The Planet? A Philosophical Conversation With Todd May

Dec 11, 2024

 What do human beings owe planet Earth? How are we responsible to future generations? Those are some pretty weighty questions. But in reality, if you're confronting the climate crisis, it should bring about some pretty weighty philosophical issues, shouldn't it? So to help, we called in popular philospher Todd May to guide us through tackling some of those biggest of big picture questions we could ponder. A renowned philosopher and advisor to NBC’s The Good Place with 18(!) books published on philosophy, Todd has a wide area of expertise that includes thinking critically about humanity's role in the climate crisis and our moral responsibility to act. Now, he's out with a new book, Should We Go Extinct? A Philosophical Dilemma for Our Unbearable Times, that explores these issues from a philosopher's perspective. 

 

In this conversation, we explore the moral implications of human existence in the context of the climate crisis, how we should think about future generations, and why it's critical to pay attention to the interconnectedness of environmental issues. We also examine the importance of recognizing our role within the natural world and our moral responsibility in the face of ongoing deforestation, factory farming, and ecosystem damage. Todd's philosophical inquiries help show us how we can navigate the complexities of existence and focus our attention on critical actions, even when simple answers to big picture questionsa are unavailable.

Todd May is a philosopher and the author of eighteen books of philosophy, was a philosophical advisor to the television sit-com The Good Place and currently teaches at Warren Wilson College.

Read Should We Go Extinct? A Philosophical Dilemma for Our Unbearable Times.

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