Why Worry About Future Generations? (Uehiro Series in Practical Ethics)

by Samuel Scheffler

With respect to our attitudes toward the future, there are also indications that our temporal parochialism is a source of anxiety. Consider, for example, the large and ever-growing body of apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic literature and film—the rapidly expanding catalogue of novels and movies devoted to stories about the destruction of the Earth; about catastrophic events like plagues, nuclear conflicts, or collisions with heavenly bodies; about the imminent extinction, actual extinction, or near extinction of human life, and about the dystopian aftermath of such events. It does not seem unreasonable to suggest that the imaginative power of these apocalyptic and dystopian fantasies is fueled by a pervasive fear that our planet is in serious trouble, that the fate of our descendants is uncertain, and that the future of our species is by no means assured. These are not the concerns of people to whom future generations mean nothing. They are the concerns of people who are fearful about the future of humanity.

I noticed this point pretty clearly for a few years now, but what percentage of people are actually aware of this? Furthermore, what's going to happen if this genre gets saturated? Will people be more aware of its extinction and be more motivated to do something, or will it pall the general public into not caring about the messages that these pieces of fiction have been carrying? If something like the ladder happens, that would be both dark and darkly humorous for its exemplifies the resignation that some people already have towards the matter.