Judith Butler and future generations

Transtemporal relationality, generational trouble and future-oriented ruthless critique

Bibliographic Data

ID9744159
AuthorsMichael Reder (0000-0003-3422-9447, Munich School of Philosophy, corresponding author), Simon Faets (0000-0003-0026-8683, University of Münster)
Year2026
Volume52
Issue1
Pages83-100
Publication date2026-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePhilosophy & Social Criticism (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0191-4537 • E-ISSN: 1461-734X
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/01914537241232965
OpenAlexW4391884130
LanguageEN
References cited32

Radical theories of democracy deal only marginally with climate impacts. Judith Butler is part of this tradition and has worked on ecological issues in recent years. She might help contribute to beginning to close this gap. In this article, some of her theoretical elements will be explored in order to critically discuss whether and how climate impacts can be understood philosophically within the framework of radical democracy. These reflections include Butler’s interpretation of relationality, vulnerability, critique and resistance. By combining these theoretical elements and applying them to future generations, which Butler only touches on to some extent, we outline how radical democracy may contribute to the philosophical discourse on climate change, thereby significantly broadening the overall philosophical debate. Furthermore, the article puts forward a critique of radical democratic theory for neglecting the issue of future generations thus far and suggests a direction in which it could be developed further

Media studies · Sociology · Feminism, Gender, and Intersectionality · Gender Studies · Migration, Refugees, and Integration · Philosophy · Youth Education and Societal Dynamics

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