The Practice-Independence of Intergenerational Justice

What is it about?

Many people believe that we owe more to future generations than leaving them a planet that allows for a life that is barely worth living. However, they also believe that we do not have extensive duties of distributive justice (e.g. to produce common goods) toward foreigners because we do not share certain practices with them (e.g. membership in a state) . I explain why we cannot hold both positions conjointly. If shared practices are the basis of our duties of distributive justice, we don't have any such duties to future people because we don't share any practices with them.

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Why is it important?

Explains why accepting the thought that it is a matter of justice to care about the well-being of future generations also commits us to care about the well-being of contemporary distant strangers as a matter of justice.