Groups as intergenerational agents: Responsibility through time and change

Laws and political conventions impose intergenerational obligations on states corporations. Germany finished paying reparations for World War I to Allied nations in 2010 has been making payments Jewish survivors of the Holocaust over six decades. The corporation James Hardie continues pay compensation former workers their families its failure protect them from dangers exposure when it mined asbestos Australia back 1950s. New Zealand is responsible settling claims made by Maori communities accordance with provisions Treaty Waitangi signed British Crown chiefs 1840. Four assumptions play a critical role practices that assign these obligations. first corporations count as agents moral well legal responsibilities. By I, was fulfilling requirement international law. compelled victims result court decisions. But requirements correspond to, underwrite, assumption ought keep commitments unjustified harm they did. We may have doubts about some decisions imposed Perhaps concerning war are morally questionable. basic beliefs what we can demand them. second groups persist through changes membership retirement death leaders officials who bore responsibility existence reparation because Nazis compensating past company decisionmakers wrongfully failed be terms treaty 19th century. third incurred group not subject statute limitations no specifiable temporal endpoint. “A intended perpetual duration incapable unilateral termination,” says an expert law (McNair, 1961). Reparative demands sometimes injustices happened century ago—for example, slavery United States—and limit how long such legitimately made. Conditions change make treaties irrelevant or unfairly onerous, reparative superseded historical developments needs present people. until circumstances considerations justify supersession, persist.1 1 When is, course, matter dispute. Waldron (1992) thinks supersession occurs those now possess unjustly taken come depend lost had find new way living. On other hand, Simmons (1995) injustice remain entitled part lost. Waldron, more than Simmons, supposes passage time itself puts end legitimate claims. fourth agent required take responsibilities debts predecessor. but passed course became independent country. If one takes another, if amalgamate undergo secession, successors likely become at least debts, financial moral, predecessors. Since burdensome persistent, important explain why exist. customary assumptions, though embedded corporate practices, raise metaphysical issues. They only presuppose like legal, agents. questions entitlements able transformation generational membership, justifies being another. us wonder members—present-day Germans, example—should bear burden done previous generations. My aim defend conventional appeal purposes agency serves. will commonly used analogy between natural persons causes difficulties intergenerational. then “temporally trustworthy” exist, members accept requirements, indefinitely generations despite changes, radical, undergoes. Most philosophers view use regards human individuals exemplars considers whether any enough persons. French (1979) argues internal structures enable predicate intentions do List Pettit (2011) claim groups, including states, having desires, beliefs, intentions, Goodin (1995, p. 35) possessed decision mechanisms mimic perfectly capacities defining feature individuals. “With mechanisms, state indisputable agent.” Some sufficiently (Mäkelä, 2007; Valasquez, 1983). However, following, assume French, Pettit, right: acquire question, then, person applies groups. Group agents, unlike persons, hundreds years. hard show institutions processes simulate long-term goals carry out plans achieving them, remember actions, fulfill Record keeping, boards, bureaucracies set up determine objectives oversee process and, constitution, body law, system based precedent beyond officeholders even lifetimes members. An institutional sufficient plays problematic discussions It also supposed change. Natural (providing justifiably ignorant, insane, act) normally others do.2 2 Cases where parents young children obvious exceptions. This makes agent's actions her continued time—her personal identity. generally difficulty identifying stages his existence. physical, psychological, and/or narrative continuity criteria Philosophers different ideas which should rely difficult hypothetical cases. practical purposes, criteria, singly together, allow judgments person's identity challenged. account commitment debt become, obligation borne succeeding (as case Zealand's acquired Waitangi). serious attempts apply there reliable determining identical later time. invent cases appreciate difficulty. monarchy territory belongs Poland Russia. After War, democratic republic took government. Nazi all procedures reflected Hitler cronies. Federal Republic Germany, established western after II, democracy constitution values rights. German Democratic communist eastern Germany. Today's citizens state. Given fundamental institutions, form government, aims, demography, geography, sure same Germanies early- mid-20th century? according analogy, bears deeds earlier states. problem exists whatever position relation finding merely much compatible group. pick place. Should focus constitutional structure, forms authority exercised, culture citizens? Whatever choose prove problematic—as history called demonstrates. Because raised so radical. States owes slavery, model requires today times. could argued occurred laws, politics country significant problematic. There resolve this problem, try solve saying pass another obliged abandoned means assigning provides. resulting application analogy. satisfy agent, must Collins (2017) calls duties. see out. act assigned roles burdens arise What philosophical issue agency, provides satisfactory answering it. assumes do, own, does individual reconciled duties exist agent. tension philosophy own acts agency. particularly acute expected before were born. Liberal especially object never chance consent—as most people join voluntarily, employees stockholders corporation, seem ask arising others, perhaps many years past. reconciling clearly solved giving collective participated making. adequately dealt claiming justified benefits receive true often benefit heirs successors. Infrastructure built slaves States, undoubtedly still benefitting riches slavery. produce benefits, cannot assumed inevitably so. would Germans benefitted government did, question Americans into social problems aftermath. Moreover, debate received non-voluntarily require acceptance duties, committed injustices. assigns odds leads apparently hopeless quest needed approach—one looks reasons crucial task undertake following sections. difference need justification That give entitlement respect. Groups constructed maintained serve assessed achieve justifying argue (or, least, them) satisfying members' self-interests. stage argument good reason whose periods membership—why, words, maintain consider possible persist, period time, aims. Reasons imposing revealed imagining affairs Imagine, community governs town council consisting adult residents. decides meeting determined vote majority, providing procedure satisfies group's rules decision-making avoids inconsistencies. duty respect Let detailing rights carrying motivated desire promote well-being community, interests. objective structure go. group, seems, meet conditions identified Goodin, Nevertheless, described lacks call “temporal trustworthiness.” Its temporally limited. restrictions future meetings. In decisions, continue action initiated meeting, thus reverse previously decision, incurs blame penalty. If, judo club hall lessons next, oppose facilities attend, revoke permission, disadvantages caused Freedom decide think best attend comes scope. A extend next meeting. permission rest year, since within period, meetings held free rescind without excuse compensation. two ways understanding suppose responsible—what scope”—then say every ceases held. newly created explain, help responsibility, existing decided done. adhered each share, might inclined succession conceived person. commitments, actions—even, cases, wrongs power advantages. places freedom best. bound respond quickly interests views achieves regard ideal. represent participate “mind” penalty doing. start afresh hold large majority favor using hall, predictable reasonably confident foreseeable future. predictability trustworthiness. trustworthy actions. “Long term” extending subsequent liable fails so, harm. Being gives ability policies imposes continuing ensuring to. trustworthiness persists membership. Those belong ensure kept paid unless doing extended New, old, keeps agreement, believe put better use. breaking agreement. Why forego lack enjoyed limited sake trustworthiness? answer served find. deteriorating roads hinders activities. Improvement everyone's interest. building capital-intensive project completion months No bank lending provide capital construction agree work provided money labor. Community themselves unlikely commit resources risks abandon. Only incur honor obtain projects road building. Suppose recently joined improving sewage roads. already members, gain either support builders changing group’s decision. want initiate similar As care motivation accepting self-interested. community's members—individuals yet reliably forward-looking responsibilities—in agent—and duties.3 3 people, philosophers, believe—that contemporaries successors, For accounts conceived, Meyer (2021). punish unpopular depriving him livelihood. recognize wrong. victim injustice. At he wrong suffering. offer welfare reparation, relief suffering justice. presently perpetrating injustice, fit justice requires—acknowledgment perpetrator wrong—and advocated unjust measure, voted it, helped share culpability victim. Their terminated convening council. Each acknowledge committing something amends. contributed itself. belonged longer exists. Can regarded perpetrator? mobs constitute responsibility-bearing behavior participants controlled norms interactions (Shockley, 2007). other's passion rhetoric. expressed united all. bring deed—a distinct decision—once over, once disperses remaining contribution. However contrite individuals, responses fail measure requires. First, repentant agent—particularly systematic affects number Second, effective relieving harm, adequate real wrongdoer. All individually amends contribution collectively relieve itself.4 4 Butt (2006) overlap society transfers original wrongdoers failing victims, understand nothing overlapping (see below). closely related explaining constitutes deficit. focuses concerns lives attach succeed properly