Persons in Prospect

In: Philosophy & public affairs, Band 36, Heft 3, S. 221-288

Abstract

The article presents three essays part of the undergraduate course on "NBFuture PersonsNB' (NYU, 2007). In part I the author starts off with Parfits perception of treating future persons, given that any attempt to treat them better may result in them never being born. The author argues that even if this empirical assumption were false, the problem would remain, and neither group would find harm or benefit by what is done. Part II and III are a development of a solution, articulating first a conception of how personal obligations are incurred on someone by bringing him into existence, the supposed gift of life therefore no longer a compensation for the wrong done in disregarding the possibilities for human flourishing or suffering in the future. In part III, Parfits non-identity problem is addressed through the results of part II. References. Adapted from the source document.