What, If Anything, Do We Owe Future Human Generations - Coursework Example

What, if anything, do we owe the future generations? Introduction There is growing concern among the current generation that it is indebted to the future generation. A common assumption is in almost everybody’s mind that the future generation should blame the current generation for the changes especially in the environment and climate. Philosophers have written essays and passed their views on whether we owe anything to the future generation. They tend to think that we should preserve the diversity and quality of this planet for the sake of those who will come after us. There are beliefs that the current generation bears heavy obligations to the future generation. These obligations are to look after the environment in the collective effort of looking out for the welfare of the generations to come. Every single decision that we make directly or indirectly affects the future. Thus, it is necessary to understand this and know that we do affect the general course of history especially with the little decisions that we make. While this is true, the question that needs to be understood is why we are bringing more people to the world while there are those who are suffering; yet the resources being used to cater for the new generations in the world can be used to improve the welfare of the already existing people. The duty to preserve the planet for the future generations has become a trending norm of customary law (Tremmel, 2008, p. 49). The current generation has sort of decided to let people suffer and die at the expense of bringing more people into the world. This is morally wrong as it shows the future generations have a greater worth of living as compared to the current generation. There are many policies that have been implemented to improve the lives of future generations and the same policies can bring even more prosperity for the current generation. Policies like the green technologies that have been initiated can bring more prosperity to the current generation. These policies are decreasing the current generations’ living standards in order to increase the future generations’ living standards. This essay seeks to identify if we really owe the future generations anything and if we do, what measures need to be put in place to ensure that we balance the interests of the future generation as well as those of the current generations. It further outlines that we have failed in our responsibilities. We are responsible of preserving the planet for the future generations but we tend to overemphasise the interest of the future generations. Do we really owe the future generation? According to Buchanan (2009, p. 1237), the basic challenge that humankind faces is not a future with too little success, but a future (as well as a present) in which success is concentrated in far very few hands. It is therefore true that the current generation has an obligation of considering the future generations’ needs and desires but the desires of the future generations can fit well within the known conceptions of distributive justice. Moral obligations are being carried from generation to generation and the obligations revolve around the well being of the future generations. Politicians, analysts, writers and so on are all for the notion or idea that we do owe the future generations. These groups are arguing that we have failed to take up our responsibilities of safeguarding our grandchildren’s welfare. The current generation is regarded as bad steward of the future. In the United States, almost all policies that are passed are safeguarding the interest of the future generations (Weiss, 1991, p. 85). This is because the politicians are hoping that by doing so, they will be re-elected as they are showing concern for the yet to be born. The same politicians are allowing activities that degrade the environment to take place. We as the current generation have an obligation to protect the environment and the planet for the benefit of those that will come after us. There has been growing concern about the environment and the current generations are now concerned about preserving the planet. There is reduced pollution of the environment with the waters that were once very polluted now capable of sustaining aquatic life. There are also laws that are protecting the atmosphere as cars that release lead to the air are restricted in the collective effort of protecting the atmosphere. Campaigns are being held to control the amount of waste that previously filled the landfills. According to conservative forecasts, the average living standards of the future generations of Americans are likely to be much higher than the current living standards (Jardins, 2012, p.148). These forecasts have left people wondering if we as the current generation are already doing more than we should be doing to safeguard the interests of our heirs. Does this mean that we should stop and change the policies in place that are safeguarding the future generations’ interests so that they can benefit the current generation? The present generation could be sacrificing their wellbeing in order to give the future generations a better life. This implies that we have played our role of preserving the environment for the benefit of the next generations at our own expense. This should not be the case as there should be a form of balance that sees the interests of both generations protected. It is therefore evident that we do owe the future generations but we should not emphasise their wellbeing at our own expense. We should aim to balance their interests with our interests. What can we do to ensure future generations are safe? The present generation should engage in policies that are aimed at protecting the interests of the generations to come. The present generation should not be selfish and should adopt strategies that can benefit the two generations. This can be achieved through considerations of financial and political stability. In cases where there is no way that we can balance our interests with those of the future generations, we will be forced to consider ourselves first. Whether it is necessary to put our interests before those of the future generations is subject that needs to be discussed. Intergenerational justice can be argued in another form, that is, whether we should balance the gap between the rich and the poor. Whether we should resort to equitable income distribution gives insight on whether we should balance the needs of the two generations. According to Buchanan (2009, p. 9), “treating questions of intergenerational justice in the same way that we treat questions of intragenerational justice (e.g., committing to a more egalitarian distribution of incomes) is potentially more promising than attempting to treat intergenerational justice as a separate moral inquiry”. This intragenerational issue is far from being resolved as is the issue of resolving intergenerational balance because no one has really made any moves towards ensuring equitable income distribution. In determining what we are to do in order to ensure that the generations to come have the same comfortable life we have, lines must be drawn to distinguish what is too much. This will involve difficult choices that will need to be made in order to set limits on the number of changes that we should create. Setting limits is never an easy task but at least it is an uncontroversial approach aimed at ensuring the future generations have a safe planet. This does not mean that we should put the interests of the future generations ahead of ours. Emphasis should be on the likely wishes of the future generations being maintained and in the process, we should also ensure that the legitimate interests of the current generation are taken into consideration. The current generation is aware of the fact that there will be other generations to come after them provided that they do not destroy themselves through wars and other forms of atrocities. As time goes by, there are developments that are occurring that will make a difference in the future world. Developments like the building of roads and the invention of computers will no doubt have an influence on the coming generations. Social and economic activities being undertaken now will change the world as time goes by. The consequences of the changes should help us decide if we should change the decisions that we make today. The current generation has a moral obligation of ensuring that they protect other living things. It is logical to think that the best way to ensure intergenerational linkage is by each generation taking care of their siblings. This way, each generation will grow knowing that they should take care of their siblings (Glass, 2007, p.10). Eventually, each generation will care about the interests of the generations to come after them. All decisions made today have an effect on the future; even the small decisions that we make. Any living generation has a moral obligation to the generations that will come after them.. But take for example, that the changes occurring now to the environment are inevitable and the current generation has no alternative but to make decisions that will result destruction of the future generations. This situation would thus result into a number of issues. We would have to avoid the probability of future generations coming into existence. This is because the future generations will come to have problems due to the changes we have made to the environment. What would be the use of allowing them to come into existence? Allowing them to come to existence will be like dooming them to inevitable miseries. These miseries that we will be inflicting on the future generations are bound to increase with time as their existence will also be stretching the resources that will be left. Not allowing the future generations to exist in the above situation will be for their own good. Such a decision will be only appropriate if there was nothing that we could do to protect the environment. Human beings of the current generation are continuously making the above situation very likely to occur through their activities. There is significant environmental damage taking place, for instance we are using energy sources that are devastating to the planet. The effects arising from these activities are affecting the human health, animal life and the entire ecosystem (Schmitt, 2009, p. 51). Generations of the next few decades may not have the chance to live as the human activities are making it less likely for them to exist in this planet. There is a likelihood that the environment will not be hospitable for the future generations. Decisions that are made today should be aimed at ensuring that the current generation’s welfare is well and that the people living today are healthy and living fulfilling lives. This assumption is based on the reasoning that there is greater significance in protecting the already existing people as compared to protecting the environment for the benefit of the future generation. This assumption would result to the complete depletion of the resources that support humanity. The water and the air would be polluted that human life would not be capable of surviving on earth. This would see the end of humanity as we know it. Most people view this assumption as morally wrong and it is no surprise that most humans are choosing to safeguard the future generation at the expense of the people who are already suffering. Humans are choosing to elevate the interest of their heirs while they leave the current generation to suffer. The decision to improve the welfare of the future generations is not an easy task. Present generations are faced with difficult choices that determine the welfare of future generations. This is because of the problem of irreversibility on the decisions that we make today. Any decision to take away environmental options from the future generation should be weighed as these decisions cannot be changed easily. In discussing whether we owe the future generation or not, we need to know the things that we are doing that the future generations will appreciate and the things we are currently doing that the future generation will not appreciate. For example, a generation that finds the use of vehicles and other automobiles unacceptable will definitely not understand why we are using them. The future generation has not paid the present generation any form of payment for the benefits they are yet to enjoy. They have not done anything to deserve the benefits that have been left for them. Any form of capital, governance, technology, knowledge and so on that is transferred to them has not been paid for so we are left to ask if they really do deserve the benefits. Just as we did not pay the generations before us for the benefits we are enjoying, so should the future generations not pay and not complain for the benefits left to them. With this kind of thinking, the future generations should be thankful for the benefits that we leave for them. But this kind of thinking is not appropriate given that if the former generations before us did the same, we would not exist. We all want to exist and so do the future generations. This leaves us with an obligation to take care of the environment for the sake of the future generation. Increase in government spending is one way we can ensure that we are concerned for the future generations. An increase in the expenditure of the government would mean more jobs thus ensuring that the generations emerging have an opportunity to work and improve their living standards. If a child realises that his or her economic future is unstable, he will curse the policies that were put in place years before his existence. Therefore, by ensuring that the future economic status of the future generations is safe, will have played our part. By creating a stable economy for the future generations, they will not be in a position to complain as they will know that if we did not make these policies, they would not otherwise come into existence. The current generation has the obligation of respecting the future generations as they deserve respect. Every human is born with dignity and we as the future generation have a moral obligation of respecting them. This argument asserts that we ought to care about the future generation because they are human beings and human beings ought to be respected. With this in mind, the current generation is supposed to make decisions that will ensure that the future generations live a misery-free life. We owe the future generation the responsibility of making decisions that will ensure their wellbeing. How can we balance our interests with those of the future generations? The question that remains is how we should balance the interests of the future generations and our interests. Some philosophers argue that there is nothing more we can do that we have not already done that would improve the status of the generations that will come after us. There is no guidance on how we should balance the interests of the two generations as the current generation needs to live a misery free life and so does the future generation. Many philosophers argue that the present generations’ interest should be put ahead of the interests of the future generations. This approach is criticised by various other philosophers for example Douglas Kysar who objects by saying that a resolution to have the discount rate do the heavy lifting purports to resolve questions, the answers to which have already been subsumed within the framework’s architecture [and subsuming] vital questions of intergenerational equity through [the] use of an exponential discount factor (Buchanan, 2009). There exist theories that explain the intergenerational justice that should be followed but these theories have just left more unanswered questions. What do we owe the future generation? The present generation is responsible for the climate change that is causing the environment harm (Fitzmaurice, 2009, p.110-111). Despite our efforts to control climate change to favour the future generations, there are still changes that are taking places and which are proving our efforts to be fruitless. Our actions have a major impact on the natural systems. The current generation has a significance influence on the environment. We are the only living things that are capable of shaping our relationship with our surrounding. Human can use the relationship they have with the environment to create a sustainable future for their grandchildren and great grandchildren. The current generation can also choose to degrade the environment and the natural resources and by so doing, make the planet a hard place to live for their siblings. We are part of the natural system and therefore we should not harm it by engaging in activities that will destroy it. It is also not in our interest to harm the natural system as we as the most sentient of all beings, have a responsibility to care for the planet. Every generation is linked to another in way and in order to ensure intergenerational equity, it important to view humanity as a partnership between all generations (Thompson, 2009, p. 149). Intergenerational equity requires all generations to view each other as equals and it calls for respect among all generations. This shows that each generation is liable to inherit a clean and robust planet. The current generation thus has an obligation of ensuring that the future environment inherits a planet that on balance, is at least as good as that we inherited it and one that can sustain their lives. The future generation has a right to receive the planet as good as we inherited it. They have a right to inherit the comparable diversity in the cultural and the natural resources. The rights of the future generation are linked to the obligations of the current generation (Weiss, 1991, p. 21-25). It is therefore right to reason that the present generation owes the future generation the right to inherit a vibrant economy. We do need to ensure that the generations to come after us enjoy a stable economy that can help them carry out their trading activities well and without much pressure. It is logical to think that the future generation will need a stable economy as the current generation requires one too. Given that both generations comprise humans and basically have the same wants and needs, it will be appropriate to leave behind an economy that our grandchildren will enjoy. A good education is also among the obligations that we as the current generation have to the future generation. We have to ensure that we leave a good education system for the generations to come. As our kids grow, that should acquire as much information as possible to help them solve their issues efficiently. A good education system provides this as through education, they will have been empowered. Medicare care is among the things that we need to ensure the future generation enjoys. Humans have the right to be healthy and live a healthy life. A sound environment is also among the key things that the future generation will need to have. As the current generation, we have a moral obligation to ensure that we leave the environment as healthy and vibrant as we inherited it. The ecological system and the natural resources need to be taken care of as this will allow the future generations to have pleasant lives. We should take care of the wildlife as this will ensure that those who inherit the planet after us will do the same. We have the obligation of avoiding pollution of the environment. Human activities that degrade the environment should be restricted and policies that ensure the safety of the environment need to be adopted. Political stability is also necessary to the future generations. Political stability will ensure that the future generations co-exist peacefully and in harmony. Conclusion It is not very clear of just how much we owe the future generation. We are also faced with a question of how we should balance the interests of the future generations and our interests. It is clear that there exist difficult questions on issues of whether we owe the future generation anything at all. Questions on issues of environmental preservation, population control, and others arise with no accurate answers. Whether we will be able to reach a conclusion on intergenerational justice determines whether there is a way in which we can equitably balance between consumption for the present generation and investing in the future generations. Whether we are good stewards for the future remains an unanswered question but we sure need to use the opportunity we have as present generations to improve the condition of the planet for both generations’ interests. References Buchanan, H. N. (2009). “What Do We Owe Future Generations?” The George Washington Law Review 77(5/6): 1237-1296. Fitzmaurice, M. (2009). Contemporary Issues in International Environmental Law. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar. Glass, A. (2007). “Understanding Generational Differences for Competitive Success.” Industrial and Commercial Training Journal, 13(2): 98-103 Jardins, J. R. D. (2012). Environmental Ethics (5th edition). New York: Cengage Learning. Schmitt, R. (2009). An Introduction to Social and Political Philosophy: A Question-Based Approach (5th edition). Ohio: Rowman & Littlefield. Thompson, J. (2009). Intergenerational Justice: Rights and Responsibilities in an Intergenerational Polity, Taylor and Francis, Melbourne. Tremmel, J. (2008). Handbook of Intergenerational Justice. NewYork: dward dgar Publishers. Weiss, B. (1991). “Our Generational Rights and Obligations to Future Generations for the Environment”. American Journal of International Law, 13: 21-25. Read More

This essay seeks to identify if we really owe the future generations anything and if we do, what measures need to be put in place to ensure that we balance the interests of the future generation as well as those of the current generations. It further outlines that we have failed in our responsibilities. We are responsible of preserving the planet for the future generations but we tend to overemphasise the interest of the future generations. Do we really owe the future generation? According to Buchanan (2009, p. 1237), the basic challenge that humankind faces is not a future with too little success, but a future (as well as a present) in which success is concentrated in far very few hands.

It is therefore true that the current generation has an obligation of considering the future generations’ needs and desires but the desires of the future generations can fit well within the known conceptions of distributive justice. Moral obligations are being carried from generation to generation and the obligations revolve around the well being of the future generations. Politicians, analysts, writers and so on are all for the notion or idea that we do owe the future generations. These groups are arguing that we have failed to take up our responsibilities of safeguarding our grandchildren’s welfare.

The current generation is regarded as bad steward of the future. In the United States, almost all policies that are passed are safeguarding the interest of the future generations (Weiss, 1991, p. 85). This is because the politicians are hoping that by doing so, they will be re-elected as they are showing concern for the yet to be born. The same politicians are allowing activities that degrade the environment to take place. We as the current generation have an obligation to protect the environment and the planet for the benefit of those that will come after us.

There has been growing concern about the environment and the current generations are now concerned about preserving the planet. There is reduced pollution of the environment with the waters that were once very polluted now capable of sustaining aquatic life. There are also laws that are protecting the atmosphere as cars that release lead to the air are restricted in the collective effort of protecting the atmosphere. Campaigns are being held to control the amount of waste that previously filled the landfills.

According to conservative forecasts, the average living standards of the future generations of Americans are likely to be much higher than the current living standards (Jardins, 2012, p.148). These forecasts have left people wondering if we as the current generation are already doing more than we should be doing to safeguard the interests of our heirs. Does this mean that we should stop and change the policies in place that are safeguarding the future generations’ interests so that they can benefit the current generation?

The present generation could be sacrificing their wellbeing in order to give the future generations a better life. This implies that we have played our role of preserving the environment for the benefit of the next generations at our own expense. This should not be the case as there should be a form of balance that sees the interests of both generations protected. It is therefore evident that we do owe the future generations but we should not emphasise their wellbeing at our own expense. We should aim to balance their interests with our interests.

What can we do to ensure future generations are safe? The present generation should engage in policies that are aimed at protecting the interests of the generations to come. The present generation should not be selfish and should adopt strategies that can benefit the two generations. This can be achieved through considerations of financial and political stability. In cases where there is no way that we can balance our interests with those of the future generations, we will be forced to consider ourselves first.

Whether it is necessary to put our interests before those of the future generations is subject that needs to be discussed.

Read More