"Our Ethical Responsibility for the Future"

In my lifetime, we have always had some concern for the future. From the 1950's concern for a possible nuclear war to more recent concerns about global warming people have made the link between what we do now-- and in our lifetime-- and what we will hand down to future generations. Still, in spite of these legitimate concerns, many people "live for today." They don't see themselves as moral agents, responsible for their behavior to God and to future generations-- even their own children and grandchildren. So, it brings up the question: what is our ethical responsibility toward the future?

We live in a highly anxious world. Consequently, people react by doing everything exactly the opposite of what people want them to do and/or by doing things their own way. It is much like the reaction of the late comedian John Candy to his issues of weight. I understand that since he had to struggle with his weight throughout his life he would vacillate from doing exactly what doctors told him to do to that of overeating and even binging---in rejection of his need to be careful with everything he ate. In effect, knowing that he had family history for early healthy problems related to weight, he would say “I am just going to live for today and not care about tomorrow!” And John Candy consequently died of a heart attack at the age of 43.

Candy’s life may well be a metaphor for the lives of many people today. They are very anxious about the future and would like to forget about their responsibility for the future entirely. Nuclear weapons concerns—not going to think about them! Global warming—doesn't exist. We are just having one little Nina after another! A great deal of energy is expended toward burying our anxiety under the sentiment of “what can one person do about it anyway?” It hurts less to live for today.

But as moral people we must be concerned about the future. Ronald Green writes in an encyclopedia article entitled “Obligations to Future Generations”: “Until recently, human beings had little ability to inflict serious harm on their distant descendants, but recent technological developments have changed this. Some of the most urgent moral problems of our day—issues of environmental responsibility, energy alternatives, genetic engineering, and nuclear arms policy—all raise the question of how much we are obligated to protect those who follow us.” (The Westminster Dictionary Of Christian Ethics, Ed. By James F. Childress and John Macquarrie. Philadelphia: Westminster Press,1986, page 242). There are two ethical viewpoints that support ethical concern for the future. One viewpoint (deontological view) would be that you should always do the right thing, the necessary thing. For example, with the concern for the environment in mind, you should do your best in every individual situation to recycle. You should limit your use of water every time you use water and in doing so you will leave the smallest footprint in your life and be concerned about future generations.

There is a lot to be said about the logic of doing the right thing whenever you can. It is very close to the professional ethical requirement on a physician to “do no harm.” But is it really done for future generations, or is it done just for self? The second point of view—that of consequentialist ethics—is more future-oriented. In each circumstance do everything with the end in mind. In other words, ask the question “what will be the consequence if I litter or if I vote for somebody who may well be a threat to the future? What will be the consequence if I give money to an organization who will do genetic engineering without any ethical concern?” In the long run this point of view is more capable of leading to ethical responsibility than “duty ethics.” It also is more connected with concern for our children and grandchildren and generations to come. If it comes down to doing the right thing. we may not always be able to act intentionally each day with future generations in mind. When we feel like it, we will make exceptions. But when we reflect on the world or non-world to come for those living after us, we will be motivated to live toward that goal right now. It will compel us, as it may have compelled the actor Candy, to help to change the world for his generations to come.

Do we have an ethical responsibility for the future? I certainly believe we do because we are accountable to God for our stewardship of all that we have been given during our lifetime. We must never give up the fight to work toward this outcome so that our grandchildren and beyond may have the kind of life we have had. “Let’s live for tomorrow!”