Axel Gosseries
Biographic Data
| ID | 2155724 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Axel Gosseries |
| GIVEN NAMES | Axel |
| FAMILY NAME | Gosseries |
| SIGNATURE | GOSSERIES A |
| AFFILIATIONS | UCLouvain |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-0045-8180 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 20 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 71 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 18 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 2 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1998 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Reciprocity, Duties between Age Groups and Demographic Change
In this paper, I look at how justice as reciprocity, once applied to the intergenerational domain, defines our duties in view of demographic fluctuations. I argue that the idea of direct reciprocity between birth cohorts, but also the ideas of direct and indirect reciprocity between age groups, should be abandoned. This leaves things open for an approach in terms of indirect reciprocity between birth cohorts. I explore what fluctuations in birth …
Inheritance taxation, equality and family values
International audience
Animal Population Ethics
In this paper, we explore four features that could potentially render animal population axiology and ethics significantly different from human population axiology and ethics. We begin with the need for and challenges to multispecies population ethics. We then look at the claim that many animals—as opposed to humans—may not have a life worth living. We also consider whether animal species extinction raises distinct issues that differ from human ex…
Une théorie politique normative à mains nues
Are inequalities between us and the dead intergenerationally unjust
This paper looks at whether inequalities between us and the past can be unjust. We show why they can be pro tanto unjust, both when the now dead generation transferred more than it had inherited to its descendants (savings) and when it transferred less (dis-savings). However, we also argue that characterising an intergenerational inequality as unjust neither commits us to the claim that it merely involves bad luck, nor implies that it is the curr…
Institutions For Future Generations
In times of climate change and public debt, a concern for intergenerational justice should lead us to have a closer look at theories of intergenerational justice. It should also press us to provide institutional design proposals to change the decision-making world that surrounds us. This book provides an exhaustive overview of the most important institutional proposals as well as a systematic and theoretical discussion of their respective feature…
Une métaphore de la justice intergénérationnelle
Intergenerational justice
Is it fair to leave the next generation a public debt? Is it defensible to impose legal rules on them through constitutional constraints? From combating climate change to ensuring proper funding for future pensions, concerns about ethics between generations are everywhere. Sixteen philosophers present new explorations of intergenerational justice. - ;Is it fair to leave the next generation a public debt? Is it defensible to impose legal rules on …
La question générationnelle et l'héritage rawlsien
Dans cet article, l'auteur examine l'apport de Rawls au débat sur la justice entre les générations. Il se concentre en particulier sur trois aspects. D'abord, il discute les difficultés rencontrées par Rawls dans la définition d'une position originelle adéquate pour aborder ces questions. Ensuite, il envisage différentes interprétations en particulier de type maximin et de type suffisantiste et critiques possibles du principe substantiel dit …
La singularité de l'âge
La discrimination par l'âge interpelle. Sans susciter l'indifférence, elle laisse subsister le sentiment d'une singularité de l'âge. N'est-il pas vrai que refuser le droit de vote aux moins de 18 ans paraît moins problématique que le refuser aux femmes ? De même, l'exclusion en raison de l'origine ethnique n'est-elle pas perçue très différemment de l'exclusion que constitue la retraite obligatoire ? Ce texte croise deux angles philosophiques. S'a…
Constitutions and Future Generations
Research Article| January 01 2008 Constitutions and Future Generations Axel P. Gosseries Axel P. Gosseries Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google The Good Society (2008) 17 (2): 32–37. https://doi.org/10.2307/20711296 Cite Icon Cite Share Icon Share Twitter Permissions Search Site Citation Axel P. Gosseries; Constitutions and Future Generations. The Good Society 1 January 2008; 17 (2): 32–37. doi: https://doi.org/10.2307/20711…
On Future Generations' Future Rights
SHOULD moral and/or legal rights be granted to members of future generations? The question is not new. Yet, it remains important. It pertains simultaneously to the conceptual realm and to the domain of practical proposals arising out of concern for future generations. Consider just a few of such proposals. First, we can think of specific institutions aimed at defending the interests and rights of future generations, such as a set of reserved seat…
Should They Honor the Promises of Their Parents' Leaders
Should the foreign debt of the world’s poorest countries be cancelled? In this essay, I am concerned with whether a generational perspective makes a difference in answering this question. I will show that it does, and that alternative accounts of repayment obligations are possible. I argue that a distributive theory of justice is not only appropriate to address the challenges to justice raised by long-term sovereign indebtedness, but that it is a…
Are generational savings unjust
In this article, we explore the implications of a Rawlsian theory for intergenerational issues. First, we confront Rawls's way of locating his `just savings' principle in his Theory of Justice with an alternative way of doing so. We argue that both sides of his intergenerational principle, as they apply to the accumulation phase and the steady-state stage, can be dealt with on the bases, respectively, of the principle of equal liberty (and its pr…
Transparency
Democratic institutions are generally expected to be transparent.By transparency, broadly understood, we refer to the way that such institutions operate under public scrutiny.This will typically entail the possibility for (groups of) citizens to access documents produced by representatives or civil servants, or the possibility of witnessing deliberative processes in action, e.g. in parliamentary assemblies.Yet, the precise effects of transparency…
Libertarisme de gauche et hobbesianisme de gauche
Cet article propose une analyse comparée des deux variables sur lesquelles les libertariens et les hobbesiens sont potentiellement en mesure de jouer pour proposer des versions de gauche de leurs théories. Il s’avère que si le hobbesianisme dispose de stratégies limitées pour élargir sa notion de surplus coopératif, l’idée d’une division égale de ce surplus comme règle générale lui reste étrangère. Par contre, le libertarisme est à même de se rep…
The Egalitarian Case Against Brundtland's Sustainability
At the heart of any concept of sustainable development lies an idea of intergenerational justice. The latter can be understood in various ways, depending on the general theory of justice one considers most defensible. The author spells out six possible philosophical views on the matter. He shows the extent to which differences in logic also translate as significant differences in the intergenerational principles to be followed, using notions of s…
Historical Emissions and Free-Riding
Should the current members of a community compensate the victims of their ancestor’s emissions of greenhouse gases? I argue that the previous generation of polluters may not have been morally responsible for the harms they caused.I also accept the view that the polluters’ descendants cannot be morally responsible for their ancestor’s harmful emissions. However, I show that, while granting this, a suitably defined notion of moral free-riding may s…
A-t-on des obligations envers les morts
Gosseries Axel. A-t-on des obligations envers les morts?. In: Revue Philosophique de Louvain. Quatrième série, tome 101, n°1, 2003. pp. 80-104
L'éthique environnementale d'aujourd'hui
Gosseries AxelGosseries Axel. L'éthique environnementale aujourd'hui. In: Revue Philosophique de Louvain. Quatrième série, tome 96, n°3, 1998. pp. 395-426
On Future Generations' Future Rights
SHOULD moral and/or legal rights be granted to members of future generations? The question is not new. Yet, it remains important. It pertains simultaneously to the conceptual realm and to the domain of practical proposals arising out of concern for future generations. Consider just a few of such proposals. First, we can think of specific institutions aimed at defending the interests and rights of future generations, such as a set of reserved seat…
Are generational savings unjust
In this article, we explore the implications of a Rawlsian theory for intergenerational issues. First, we confront Rawls's way of locating his `just savings' principle in his Theory of Justice with an alternative way of doing so. We argue that both sides of his intergenerational principle, as they apply to the accumulation phase and the steady-state stage, can be dealt with on the bases, respectively, of the principle of equal liberty (and its pr…
Constitutions and Future Generations
Research Article| January 01 2008 Constitutions and Future Generations Axel P. Gosseries Axel P. Gosseries Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google The Good Society (2008) 17 (2): 32–37. https://doi.org/10.2307/20711296 Cite Icon Cite Share Icon Share Twitter Permissions Search Site Citation Axel P. Gosseries; Constitutions and Future Generations. The Good Society 1 January 2008; 17 (2): 32–37. doi: https://doi.org/10.2307/20711…
Une métaphore de la justice intergénérationnelle
La singularité de l'âge
La discrimination par l'âge interpelle. Sans susciter l'indifférence, elle laisse subsister le sentiment d'une singularité de l'âge. N'est-il pas vrai que refuser le droit de vote aux moins de 18 ans paraît moins problématique que le refuser aux femmes ? De même, l'exclusion en raison de l'origine ethnique n'est-elle pas perçue très différemment de l'exclusion que constitue la retraite obligatoire ? Ce texte croise deux angles philosophiques. S'a…
Should They Honor the Promises of Their Parents' Leaders
Should the foreign debt of the world’s poorest countries be cancelled? In this essay, I am concerned with whether a generational perspective makes a difference in answering this question. I will show that it does, and that alternative accounts of repayment obligations are possible. I argue that a distributive theory of justice is not only appropriate to address the challenges to justice raised by long-term sovereign indebtedness, but that it is a…
Transparency
Democratic institutions are generally expected to be transparent.By transparency, broadly understood, we refer to the way that such institutions operate under public scrutiny.This will typically entail the possibility for (groups of) citizens to access documents produced by representatives or civil servants, or the possibility of witnessing deliberative processes in action, e.g. in parliamentary assemblies.Yet, the precise effects of transparency…
Libertarisme de gauche et hobbesianisme de gauche
Cet article propose une analyse comparée des deux variables sur lesquelles les libertariens et les hobbesiens sont potentiellement en mesure de jouer pour proposer des versions de gauche de leurs théories. Il s’avère que si le hobbesianisme dispose de stratégies limitées pour élargir sa notion de surplus coopératif, l’idée d’une division égale de ce surplus comme règle générale lui reste étrangère. Par contre, le libertarisme est à même de se rep…
A-t-on des obligations envers les morts
Gosseries Axel. A-t-on des obligations envers les morts?. In: Revue Philosophique de Louvain. Quatrième série, tome 101, n°1, 2003. pp. 80-104
L'éthique environnementale d'aujourd'hui
Gosseries AxelGosseries Axel. L'éthique environnementale aujourd'hui. In: Revue Philosophique de Louvain. Quatrième série, tome 96, n°3, 1998. pp. 395-426
A-t-on des obligations envers les morts
Gosseries Axel. A-t-on des obligations envers les morts?. In: Revue Philosophique de Louvain. Quatrième série, tome 101, n°1, 2003. pp. 80-104
Historical Emissions and Free-Riding
Should the current members of a community compensate the victims of their ancestor’s emissions of greenhouse gases? I argue that the previous generation of polluters may not have been morally responsible for the harms they caused.I also accept the view that the polluters’ descendants cannot be morally responsible for their ancestor’s harmful emissions. However, I show that, while granting this, a suitably defined notion of moral free-riding may s…
The Egalitarian Case Against Brundtland's Sustainability
At the heart of any concept of sustainable development lies an idea of intergenerational justice. The latter can be understood in various ways, depending on the general theory of justice one considers most defensible. The author spells out six possible philosophical views on the matter. He shows the extent to which differences in logic also translate as significant differences in the intergenerational principles to be followed, using notions of s…
Transparency
Democratic institutions are generally expected to be transparent.By transparency, broadly understood, we refer to the way that such institutions operate under public scrutiny.This will typically entail the possibility for (groups of) citizens to access documents produced by representatives or civil servants, or the possibility of witnessing deliberative processes in action, e.g. in parliamentary assemblies.Yet, the precise effects of transparency…
Libertarisme de gauche et hobbesianisme de gauche
Cet article propose une analyse comparée des deux variables sur lesquelles les libertariens et les hobbesiens sont potentiellement en mesure de jouer pour proposer des versions de gauche de leurs théories. Il s’avère que si le hobbesianisme dispose de stratégies limitées pour élargir sa notion de surplus coopératif, l’idée d’une division égale de ce surplus comme règle générale lui reste étrangère. Par contre, le libertarisme est à même de se rep…
Should They Honor the Promises of Their Parents' Leaders
Should the foreign debt of the world’s poorest countries be cancelled? In this essay, I am concerned with whether a generational perspective makes a difference in answering this question. I will show that it does, and that alternative accounts of repayment obligations are possible. I argue that a distributive theory of justice is not only appropriate to address the challenges to justice raised by long-term sovereign indebtedness, but that it is a…
Are generational savings unjust
In this article, we explore the implications of a Rawlsian theory for intergenerational issues. First, we confront Rawls's way of locating his `just savings' principle in his Theory of Justice with an alternative way of doing so. We argue that both sides of his intergenerational principle, as they apply to the accumulation phase and the steady-state stage, can be dealt with on the bases, respectively, of the principle of equal liberty (and its pr…
Constitutions and Future Generations
Research Article| January 01 2008 Constitutions and Future Generations Axel P. Gosseries Axel P. Gosseries Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google The Good Society (2008) 17 (2): 32–37. https://doi.org/10.2307/20711296 Cite Icon Cite Share Icon Share Twitter Permissions Search Site Citation Axel P. Gosseries; Constitutions and Future Generations. The Good Society 1 January 2008; 17 (2): 32–37. doi: https://doi.org/10.2307/20711…
On Future Generations' Future Rights
SHOULD moral and/or legal rights be granted to members of future generations? The question is not new. Yet, it remains important. It pertains simultaneously to the conceptual realm and to the domain of practical proposals arising out of concern for future generations. Consider just a few of such proposals. First, we can think of specific institutions aimed at defending the interests and rights of future generations, such as a set of reserved seat…
Intergenerational justice
Is it fair to leave the next generation a public debt? Is it defensible to impose legal rules on them through constitutional constraints? From combating climate change to ensuring proper funding for future pensions, concerns about ethics between generations are everywhere. Sixteen philosophers present new explorations of intergenerational justice. - ;Is it fair to leave the next generation a public debt? Is it defensible to impose legal rules on …
La question générationnelle et l'héritage rawlsien
Dans cet article, l'auteur examine l'apport de Rawls au débat sur la justice entre les générations. Il se concentre en particulier sur trois aspects. D'abord, il discute les difficultés rencontrées par Rawls dans la définition d'une position originelle adéquate pour aborder ces questions. Ensuite, il envisage différentes interprétations en particulier de type maximin et de type suffisantiste et critiques possibles du principe substantiel dit …
La singularité de l'âge
La discrimination par l'âge interpelle. Sans susciter l'indifférence, elle laisse subsister le sentiment d'une singularité de l'âge. N'est-il pas vrai que refuser le droit de vote aux moins de 18 ans paraît moins problématique que le refuser aux femmes ? De même, l'exclusion en raison de l'origine ethnique n'est-elle pas perçue très différemment de l'exclusion que constitue la retraite obligatoire ? Ce texte croise deux angles philosophiques. S'a…
Une métaphore de la justice intergénérationnelle
Institutions For Future Generations
In times of climate change and public debt, a concern for intergenerational justice should lead us to have a closer look at theories of intergenerational justice. It should also press us to provide institutional design proposals to change the decision-making world that surrounds us. This book provides an exhaustive overview of the most important institutional proposals as well as a systematic and theoretical discussion of their respective feature…
Are inequalities between us and the dead intergenerationally unjust
This paper looks at whether inequalities between us and the past can be unjust. We show why they can be pro tanto unjust, both when the now dead generation transferred more than it had inherited to its descendants (savings) and when it transferred less (dis-savings). However, we also argue that characterising an intergenerational inequality as unjust neither commits us to the claim that it merely involves bad luck, nor implies that it is the curr…
Animal Population Ethics
In this paper, we explore four features that could potentially render animal population axiology and ethics significantly different from human population axiology and ethics. We begin with the need for and challenges to multispecies population ethics. We then look at the claim that many animals—as opposed to humans—may not have a life worth living. We also consider whether animal species extinction raises distinct issues that differ from human ex…
Une théorie politique normative à mains nues
Inheritance taxation, equality and family values
International audience
Reciprocity, Duties between Age Groups and Demographic Change
In this paper, I look at how justice as reciprocity, once applied to the intergenerational domain, defines our duties in view of demographic fluctuations. I argue that the idea of direct reciprocity between birth cohorts, but also the ideas of direct and indirect reciprocity between age groups, should be abandoned. This leaves things open for an approach in terms of indirect reciprocity between birth cohorts. I explore what fluctuations in birth …
Political science (12 works) · Philosophy (10 works) · Climate Change and Geoengineering (9 works) · Sociology (9 works) · Law (8 works) · Political Philosophy and Ethics (8 works) · Economics (7 works) · Philosophy (6 works) · Economic Justice (5 works) · Epistemology (5 works)