Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Reducing Asymmetries in Intergenerational Justice: Descent from Modernity or Space Industrialization?

Karlsson, Rasmus LU (2006) In Organization & Environment 19(2). p.233-250
Abstract
Normally, contractual conceptions of intergenerational justice regard the responsibility held by each generation as symmetrical. This article argues that the late modern society has created an asymmetry because of its unprecendented instrumental and destructive capacity. Historically unique risks such as thermonuclear destruction, global ecological deprivation, and resource depletion all point at this asymmetry and unequal distribution of responsibility between generations. Extending one contractual device used by John Rawls in line with what Brian Barry has suggested, this article analyzes the roots of the asymmetry and presents two political strategies to end it. The first strategy resembles the traditional deep ecological programme... (More)
Normally, contractual conceptions of intergenerational justice regard the responsibility held by each generation as symmetrical. This article argues that the late modern society has created an asymmetry because of its unprecendented instrumental and destructive capacity. Historically unique risks such as thermonuclear destruction, global ecological deprivation, and resource depletion all point at this asymmetry and unequal distribution of responsibility between generations. Extending one contractual device used by John Rawls in line with what Brian Barry has suggested, this article analyzes the roots of the asymmetry and presents two political strategies to end it. The first strategy resembles the traditional deep ecological programme whereas the second holds an imaginative vision of a human future in space. Both strategies seek to reduce the influence present generations exercise on the level of opportunity available to future generations. The key normative argument is that intergenerational justice requires spatial and temporal limits on political action. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
space industrialization, sustainable development, deep ecology, intergenerational justice
in
Organization & Environment
volume
19
issue
2
pages
233 - 250
publisher
SAGE Publications
external identifiers
  • wos:000240628700005
  • scopus:33646401356
ISSN
1552-7417
DOI
10.1177/1086026606288227
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
30a52911-9712-48a8-8646-9c8ed3900a95 (old id 157760)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 12:02:23
date last changed
2022-01-26 21:56:15
@article{30a52911-9712-48a8-8646-9c8ed3900a95,
  abstract     = {{Normally, contractual conceptions of intergenerational justice regard the responsibility held by each generation as symmetrical. This article argues that the late modern society has created an asymmetry because of its unprecendented instrumental and destructive capacity. Historically unique risks such as thermonuclear destruction, global ecological deprivation, and resource depletion all point at this asymmetry and unequal distribution of responsibility between generations. Extending one contractual device used by John Rawls in line with what Brian Barry has suggested, this article analyzes the roots of the asymmetry and presents two political strategies to end it. The first strategy resembles the traditional deep ecological programme whereas the second holds an imaginative vision of a human future in space. Both strategies seek to reduce the influence present generations exercise on the level of opportunity available to future generations. The key normative argument is that intergenerational justice requires spatial and temporal limits on political action.}},
  author       = {{Karlsson, Rasmus}},
  issn         = {{1552-7417}},
  keywords     = {{space industrialization; sustainable development; deep ecology; intergenerational justice}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{233--250}},
  publisher    = {{SAGE Publications}},
  series       = {{Organization & Environment}},
  title        = {{Reducing Asymmetries in Intergenerational Justice: Descent from Modernity or Space Industrialization?}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/2754570/625477.pdf}},
  doi          = {{10.1177/1086026606288227}},
  volume       = {{19}},
  year         = {{2006}},
}