Thomas Moynihan

Tom wrote the best book there is about existential risk and is a true scholar. He has a publisher lined up for this one already and I'm keen to see where he goes with it.

6-month salary to write book on philosophy + history of longtermist thinking, while longer-term funding is arranged.

Thomas Moynihan asked for 6 months of salary to pay for his time writing a book about why longtermism has become a popular philosophy now, as opposed to earlier in history. Thomas previously wrote a similar book about existential risk, which was featured on the 80,000 Hours podcast.

I was in favor of this grant because I think books can be an effective way to do movement-building and to bring longtermist ideas further into the mainstream. I’m not sure how successful Thomas’s book will be, but I expect it to appeal to educated audiences and contribute to the idea that longtermism is worth taking seriously as a philosophical position.

This was a bridge grant to cover Thomas’s salary while a grant from another funder came through.