Longtermist Education Interventions Increase Concern for and Action to Protect Future Generations

Abstract

In a contemporary landscape fraught with unprecedented challenges, it is imperative to forge strategies that transcend present concerns and equally prioritize future generations. This research, anchored in the philosophy of longtermism, seeks to bridge this temporal divide. Across three pre-registered and highly-powered studies, we scrutinize the potential of philosophical arguments underpinning longtermism to foster alignment with its principles, thereby catalyzing attitudes and actions that resonate with a more future-oriented approach to global welfare. Leveraging scalable educational interventions through text and video media formats, we discern a noticeable resonance of these philosophical arguments among individuals, influencing their beliefs, policy support, donation behaviors, and cognitive investment directed toward the betterment of future generations. Our findings illuminate the critical mediating role of longtermism beliefs between the interventions and favorable future-focused outcomes, establishing the promising potential of philosophical discourse as a pragmatic tool in mobilizing collective efforts to safeguard our long-term future.