The End of the World: The Science and Ethics of Human Extinction

Understanding Humanity’s Precarious Future

Philosopher John Leslie tackles one of the most unsettling questions of our time: Are we likely to survive? In The End of the World: The Science and Ethics of Human Extinction, Leslie brings together scientific risk assessment and ethical reflection to examine why humanity might be closer to extinction than most people assume.

Originally published by Routledge and now available as a digital edition, this book remains a landmark discussion of existential risk. Leslie does not simply list threats; he asks hard questions about probability, responsibility, and the value of continuing human history.

What the Book Explores

Leslie structures the investigation around both familiar and overlooked dangers, including:

• Nuclear war and the logic of deterrence
• Environmental degradation and pollution
• Pandemics and biological risks
• Asteroid impacts and cosmic hazards
• Emerging technologies and unintended consequences

But the book’s most famous contribution is the Doomsday Argument—a probabilistic reasoning that suggests we may have underestimated the likelihood of near-term human extinction. Leslie develops the argument first proposed by Brandon Carter and explores its ethical implications.

From Science to Ethics

Alongside the scientific analysis, Leslie asks what we owe to future generations and why prolonging human history matters. He confronts the uncomfortable possibility that our choices today could determine whether intelligent life continues or ends.

The book closes with a discussion of the Prisoner’s Dilemma and nuclear revenge, emphasizing the collective action problems that make existential risk so difficult to manage.

Who Should Read This Book

Students and researchers in philosophy, risk studies, cosmology, and ethics will find the arguments rigorous and engaging. General readers interested in big questions, human survival, and the future of civilization will appreciate Leslie’s clear and often witty prose.

This digital edition includes the original preface to the paperback edition, a comprehensive bibliography, and an index.

Explore one of the most influential philosophical treatments of human extinction—available now from Digital Delights.