Sustainable and Resilient Systems for Intergenerational Justice

TL;DR

This paper explores extending Rawls' theory of intergenerational justice by advocating for the use of natural resources to develop sustainable and resilient systems, emphasizing our moral responsibility to future generations.

Contribution

It introduces a novel interpretation of 'saving' as utilizing resources for sustainable and resilient systems, expanding the concept beyond monetary savings in intergenerational justice.

Findings

Using resources for sustainability benefits future generations.

Entire resource utilization is rational for intergenerational justice.

Supports development of resilient systems for long-term justice.

Abstract

Rawls' theory of justice aims at fairness. He does not only think of justice between exiting parties in existing society, but he also thinks of it between generations intergenerational justice problem. Rawls' solution to this problem is the saving principle, and he says that we are responsible for being just with the next generations. Wolf thinks of our responsibility for future generations as a kind of financial debt that we have to pay. He also develops the meaning of "saving" and says that it is not restricted to the monetary one. Wolf extends the definition of "saving" such that it includes investment on behalf of the next generations as well. In this paper, I want to extend the meaning of "saving" to "using the resources for sustainable and resilient systems." By referring to the problem of time, I show that our decision on behalf of the next generations will be rational only if we entirely use the natural resources and wealth to produce sustainable and resilient systems.