The Non-Identity Problem in the Original Position

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1、JEFFREYREIMANBeingFairtoFuturePeople:TheNon-IdentityProblemintheOriginalPositionAnaturalillusiongetsinthewayofthinkingclearlyaboutourdutiestofuturepeople.Inparticular,itleadstoconfusionabouttheso-calledNon-IdentityProblemdiscussedbyDerekParfitandothers.Consider-ationofdutiestofuturepeopleinJohnRa

2、wls’soriginalpositioncorrectsforthisillusionandpointstoasolutiontotheNon-IdentityProblembasedonasurprisingbutdefensibleconceptionofthemorallyrelevantinterestsoffuturepeople.RespondingtoapotentialobjectiontothissolutionfromParfitleadstorecognitionofanunexpectedproblemoffairnessbetweengenerationsan

3、d,fromthere,toanadditionalandmorepowerfuljustificationofthesolutiontotheNon-IdentityProblemfoundintheoriginalposition.Thesolutionturnsouttobearequire-mentofbeingfairtofuturepeople.Istartbyintroducingtheillusionandtheproblem.i.woodyallen’sillusionandthenon-identityproblemOnthejacketofWoodyAllen’sb

4、ookWithoutFeathers,thereisabriefbiothatdescribesAllen’sbackgroundandcareer,andendswiththeline:1“Hisoneregretinlifeisthatheisnotsomeoneelse.”Thisjokeworksbecause,likemanyjokes,itcatchesusholdingadubiousbeliefthatweThisisarevisedversionofapaperthatwasdeliveredastheThirdAnnualEvelynBarkerMemorialLe

5、ctureattheUniversityofMarylandBaltimoreCountyonApril10,2006.Anearlierversion,entitled“WhatWeOwetoFuturePeople,”waspresentedattheMcDowellConferenceonPhilosophyandSocialPolicyonthetopic“EthicsandGenetics,”atAmericanUniversityinWashington,D.C.,onNovember4,2005.IthankDanBrockandNormanDaniels,speaker

6、satthatconference,fortheircommentsandencour-agement.Ithankthefacultyandstudentsatbotheventsfortheirprobingandusefulquestions.IamgratefulaswelltotheEditorsofPhilosophy&PublicAffairsfortheirveryhelpfulcomments.1.WoodyAllen,WithoutFeathers(NewYork:RandomHouse,1975).©2007byBlackwellPublishing,Inc.Ph

7、ilosophy&PublicAffairs35,no.170Philosophy&PublicAffairsknowisdubiousbutwhichwecannoteasilyremovefromourbeliefsystem.Inthiscase,thebeliefisthateachofusisaparticularindividualseparablefromouractuallives,andevenpriortothemintha