What Has Posterity Ever Done For Me By Robert Heilbroner

Natasha Jayez Philosophy 20 6/26/17 Moral Responsibility to Posterity An increasing number of people believe that we have responsibilities towards future generations in regards to preserving the planet. In this paper, I will present Heilbroner s arguments for posterity, in relation to how we treat our environment. In addition, I will compare two ethical theories, Kant s Categorical Imperative to Mill s theory of Utilitarianism. I will then argue as to why Utilitarianism is more plausible in respect to Heilbroner s environmental view on posterity. Furthermore, I will point out why Kantian theory does not at all support the idea of environmental preservation for future†¦show more content†¦Immanuel Kant called this principle The Categorical Imperative. The categorical Imperative can be defined as a universal law without contradiction. Kant s Categorical Imperative states that rationality and reasoning are the source of universal moral obligations, and rational beings are the embodiment of the moral law itself. The only way that moral goodness ca n exist at all in the world is for rational creatures to understand and adopt the rules of moral law and do it as a sense of duty. Therefore, if there were no rational beings, the moral dimension of the world would not exist. This deontological perspective focuses primarily on the intention of our actions, rather than the consequence. Under the categorical imperative, one must follow formulations in order to make rational ethical decisions. The first formulation states that any act that you commit must become universal. If that act cannot become universal, then we must refrain from it. For example, in making a decision on whether or not to steal, one must ask if it would be acceptable to them if someone were to steal from them. In making an act universal, we must imagine a world in which the act is always permissible. The second formulation proclaims that you may not use any human being, including oneself, as a mere means. This explains that you cannot use any form of humanity as merely an object or tool, regardless of independent desires or passions. Kant alsoShow MoreRelatedEssay on Evaluating Our Responsibility to Future Generations1855 Words   |  8 Pagessolution of Euclidian geometry. -- R. Heilbroner    The above quote from Robert Heilbroner speaks well to my feeling after reading some of the theoretical approaches to the ethics of our obligation to future generations from this weeks readings. For example, I found Derek Parfits essay to be particularly unfulfilling. He set out to find a formula X which was derived from logic and yet could provide us an answer to all difficult questions about what we owe to the distant future. Unfortunately