Can thinking about the end of the world make us better people? In this episode of Saving the World from Bad Ideas, Mark Lynas sits down with philosopher and existential risk researcher Dr SJ Beard to unpack Bad Idea #27: “There’s no hope for humanity’”
Drawing on their new book Existential Hope (Polity), SJ argues that we need to look beyond fear and fatalism to build a future worth surviving for. They explore how the same forces driving environmental destruction, inequality, and technological danger also threaten humanity’s long-term survival — and how rediscovering our shared humanity could be the key to building resilience and hope in an age of crisis.
🧠 Topics Discussed:
● 🌍 Why the same systems that harm people and planet now endanger our collective future
● 🧠 What “existential risk” really means — and why it’s about justice as much as survival
● 🏭 How extractive capitalism links everyday harm to global catastrophe
● 🤖 AI, technology, and the ethics of progress
● 💣 The limits of doom thinking and why apocalypse narratives can paralyse us
● 💡 The concept of existential hope — a practical philosophy for long-term survival
● ✊ Building solidarity, moral courage, and collective action as the real foundations of safety
● 🌱 Why saving humanity starts with saving our humanity
👨🏫 Guest Bio:
Dr SJ Beard is a philosopher and senior research associate at the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk (CSER) at the University of Cambridge. Their research explores the ethics of global catastrophic and existential risks — from AI and climate change to inequality and social justice. SJ’s new book, Existential Hope (Polity, 2024), argues that the same human capacities that create danger also give us the tools to survive and flourish. They are known for bringing humanity, empathy, and philosophical depth to one of the most urgent topics of our time.
📚 Recommended Reading & Resources:
● Existential Hope – https://www.sjbeard.com/existential-hope.html
● Centre for the Study of Existential Risk (CSER), University of Cambridge – https://www.cser.ac.uk/
● CSER Podcast: Existential Hope and Risk – https://www.cser.ac.uk/work/24-october-2025-conversations-on-existential-hope/
● The Precipice by Toby Ord – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Precipice:_Existential_Risk_and_the_Future_of_Humanity
● Our Final Hour by Martin Rees – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Final_Hour ● Climate Endgame (PNAS, 2022) – https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2108146119
● Effective Altruism Forum: Existential Hope and Moral Progress – https://forum.effectivealtruism.org
💬 Quote Highlights:
“If we want to save humanity, we need to start by saving our humanity.” — SJ Beard
“The same extractive systems that harm people and planet now are the ones that endanger our future as a species.”
“Existential hope isn’t utopian — it’s pragmatic. It’s about building the moral and collective capacity to survive.”
“Thinking about extinction isn’t just about avoiding the end; it’s about imagining a future worth existing in.”
🌐 About WePlanet:
WePlanet is a global citizen and science movement challenging bad ideas and championing evidence-based solutions for climate, nature, and human development. Learn more at https://weplanet.org
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