Intergenerational Justice

Foundation for the Rights of Future Generations Issue 2/2004 (2nd English edition) Intergenerational Justice Intergenerational Justice Contents Review by Wilfred Beckerman Topic: Justice, Ethics, Ecology Recent inter est in envir onmental pr oblems and A theory of distributive justice specifies the impact that we ar e making on the envir on- rights to certain shares in whatever is to Intergenerational Justice 1 ment has stimulated considerable interest in the be distributed. For example, in a well- by Prof. Dr. Wilfred Beckerman pr oblem of justice between generations 1. But it known article Gregory Vlastos gave a list Congress 2005 Ecological Generational 1 is well known that any attempt to construct a of 'well-known maxims of distributive Justice in the Constitution? Europe's theor y of justice between generations encounters justice' such as 'To each according to his green future in the 21st century special dif ficulties, such as those set out by need ' or 'To each according to his wor th ' Rawls [Rawls, 1972, pp.284-291]. and so on [Vlastos, 1984, p.44]2. (Indeed, Is a Theory of Intergenerational Justice 6 One might w ell ask, at the outset, therefor e, as Nozick has pointed out that the different Possible? Response to Beckerman by Jörg Tremmel does Brian Bar ry [1978, p.205], whether theories of distributive justice can be ther e is r eally any need for a theor y of inter ge- seen as differences in the word (or ex- Constitutionalizing Future Rights? 10 nerational justice and whether, instead, one could pression) that is inserted at the end of by Dr. Axel Gosseries not be satisfied with defining our obligations to- statements such as 'to each according to wards futur e generations on the basis of com- his....') [Nozick, 1974, p.164]. It is ob- Open letter: Dear Mia, Let's Tread 12 Lightly on the Planet, Together mon humanity. Bar ry believes that there is such vious that all such principles of justice by Prof. Dr. Kennedy Graham a need. And, like Rawls and other philosophers, imply certain rights. Consider, for exam- he belie ves that in spite of the dif ficulties such ple, the first principle, 'To each according Environmental Policies in Europe 15 a theor y is possible. The argument of this pa- to his needs'. Once the 'needs' in by Margot Wallström per is that it is both unnecessar y and impossi- question have been defined and The Making of the Earth Charter 16 ble. agreed, anybody who could demonstra- by Prof. Dr. Ruud Lubbers te that he or she had the requisite needs The Rights-Justice Relationship would have a moral 'right' to be accorded Earth Charter 16 Theories of justice invariably imply as- the corresponding amount of whatever cribing rights to somebody or other or to was supposed to be given according to United Nations Commission on 20 Sustainable Development some institution or group of people. that need (e.g. freedom, income, medical by Sebastian Klüsener For example, for Rawls '...the primary care, and so on). Thus instead of speci- subject of justice is the basic structure of fying theories of justice in the form of society, or more exactly, the way in the maxims indicated above, one could which the major social institutions di- have equally have specified them in the Contents Book Reviews 21 stribute fundamental rights and duties' form: Peter Laslett and James S. Fishkin [Rawls, 1972, p.7]. (continued on page 3) (eds.), Justice between Age Groups and Generations 21 Ecological Generational Justice into the Bruce E. Auerbach, Constitution? Europe’s Green Future in Unto the thousandth Generation: Con- st the 21 century ceptualizing Intergenerational Justice 21 Protestant Academy of Berlin, 22.-26. June 2005 Andrew Dobson, Our modern society is living at the cost of fu- being discussed in Hungary) or other solutions Green Political Thought 22 ture generations. Guaranteeing the existence which may be results of our discussions at the Paul Wallace, and well-being of these generations is more convention. The innovative character of this Agequake: Riding the Demographic pressing than ever, because decisions made by project is great as hardly any effort has been Rollercoaster present generations are able to change the en- taken by other non-governmental organisa- Shaking Business, Finance and vironment for many thousands of years to co- tions to demand fundamental and far reaching our World 23 me. improvements of the ecological conditions at O'Neill, John, R. Kerry Turner and That is the reason why the Foundation for the an institutional level. The potential for ecolo- Ian J. Bateman (eds.), Rights of Future Generations (FRFG) has gising the whole society is great. Environmental Ethics and Philosophy 23 started a campaign to institutionalise "ecolo- At the convention, the primary aim is to gical generational justice" in the German con- create models of how to institutionalise Palmer, Joy A., David E. Cooper and stitution. The final goal would be to see a "ecological generational justice". Hopeful- Peter Blaze Corcoran (eds.), Fifty Key Thinkers on the Environment 24 change of the current laws accepted by Par- ly, the participants will work together to cre- liament. This could be a change of the con- ate a network promo-ting the idea that Internal matters 24 stitution or the establishment of a Commis- "ecological generational justice" should be sion for Future Generations (like in Israel) or implemented throughout Euro- an Ombudsman for Future Generations (like (continued on page 25) solution is proposed however, with im- plications for the way in which future rights should be phrased. K ennedy Graham publishes a very per- sonal letter to his grandchild "Mia", out- lining his responsibility to her. Doing this, he makes us think about intergenerational responsibilities and obligations Dear reader, in general. Margot Wallström provides an overview Only after the appearance of the ecolo- about environmental policies in Europe, gical question in the 1970s did future ge- especially as outlined in the 6th Envi- nerations (especially the topic 'genera- ronmental Action Plan. She underscores tional justice') explicitly come into the the pivotal role of youth as agents for picture. Historically, it is to the Club of succeeding generations. Rome's credit that they promoted the in- Ruud Lubbers, the former prime mini- sight that the usage of natural resources ster of the Netherlands, reflects on his must be limited. But at this time a preci- struggle for the Earth Charter. This do- se generational ethic was not yet develo- cument itself, of utmost importance for ped. While Rawls (like Kant) assumed, ecological generational justice, is also in- almost as a law of nature, that the living cluded in this edition. conditions and the well-being of future We also report, like in every issue of this generations would constantly improve, journal, about UN activities, review the Hans Jonas pointed to the growing newest or most influential books and tell Impressum threat that the potential of modern tech- you about recent FRFG activities. The nology affects the future destiny of reviewed books are "Justice between Age Publisher: Foundation for the Rights of Future mankind. Unlike in previous centuries, Groups and Generations" (by Peter Las- Generations (FRFG) (Stiftung für die Rechte zukünf- nature might be irreversibly affected by lett and James S. Fishkin), "Unto the tiger Generationen)-SRzG acts or omissions of the presently living Thousandth Generation" (by Bruce E. generation. Editors-in-Chief: Jörg Tremmel, Diederik van Auerbach), "Green Political Thought" Iwaarden, Maarten Malczak In this edition prominent scholars and (by Andrew Dobson) and "Agequake" Editorial staff: Sebastian Klüsener, Anne Kürbs, Ger- politicians discuss questions as: What do (by Paul Wallace). fried Zluga, Tobias Kemnitzer, Beatrice Gaczensky, we owe our children? How should we In its internal section, FRFG introduces deal with our natural capital? Do future the important conference "Ecological Léonie Jana Wagner generations have 'rights'? What challen- Generational Justice in the Constitution? Layout: Kerstin Hose ges does a theory of Generational Europe's green future in the 21st centu- Concept and Implementation: Jörg Tremmel Justice set? ry", scheduled for June 22-26 2005 in Print: Druck&Medien Späthling, Berlin. 60 future decision makers will be Ruppertsgrün 6, 95163 Weißenstadt, Germany Wilfred Beckerman questions if any invited to the beautiful House Schwa- Printed on chlorine-free bleeched paper. theory of intergenerational justice is pos- nenwerder to create models of how to sible because future generations cannot institutionalise "ecological generational Postal address of Publisher: Stiftung für die Rechte be said to "have" rights in the present. justice" in European countries and in the zukünftiger Generationen He argues, instead, that one could be sa- European Union itself. Hopefully, the Foundation for the Rights of Future Generations, tisfied with defining our obligations to- participants will work together to create Postfach 5115, wards future generations on the basis of a network promoting the idea that "eco- 61422 Oberursel common humanity. logical generational justice" should be Germany Jörg Tremmel responds by devising a implemented throughout European Tel.: +49(0)6171-982367 theory of intergenerational justice, countries. The application form is inside. Fax.: +49(0)6171-952566 thereby showing that it is possible. In his The preparations for the English version E-Mail: [email protected], view, it is not necessary that future indi- of the "Handbook Generational Justice" Online: www.srzg.de viduals have rights for a theory of inter- are well underway. Scholars, experts and generational justice to be functional. Tra- young scientists are invited to submit ar- The Intergenerational Justice Review is published ditional, well-established theories of ticles (see Call for Papers). exclusively for non-profit purposes. It is issued quar- justice which are based on the idea of re- Last but not least you will find in an terly (three times in German and once in English).

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