York hosts conference on intergenerational justice
Posted on 17 September 2013
For example, as the population ages, how should we distribute health care between the elderly and the young? Is it fair that a generation that enjoyed free university tuition has imposed fees on the generation that followed? What do "baby-boomers", who have enjoyed economic prosperity, owe current young people who are experiencing record unemployment? Who should pay for the pension crisis?
These and other questions will be addressed at the “Intergenerational Justice: obligations, promises, failures” conference on 19 and 20 September, organised by the University’s School of Politics, Economics and Philosophy in partnership with the Intergenerational Foundation.
The conference, organised by York PhD student Juliana Bidadanure, will bring together internationally renowned academics to consider different concepts of intergenerational justice together with their implications for practical policy solutions. Speakers include Professor Norman Daniels, Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard School of Public Health, Professor Axel Gosseries, Chaire Hoover in Economic and Social Ethics, University of Louvain, and Bobby Duffy, Managing Director of Ipsos-MORI Social Research Institute.
Thinking about intergenerational justice requires an interdisciplinary perspective, which is precisely what we champion at York’s School of Politics, Economics and Philosophy
Professor Matt Matravers
Professor Matt Matravers, Director of the University of York’s School of Politics, Economics and Philosophy, said: “The main goal of the conference is to discuss different conceptions of intergenerational justice and their implications in areas such as pensions, housing, democratic participation/representation, jobs, internships, and education.
“Thinking about intergenerational justice requires an interdisciplinary perspective, which is precisely what we champion at York’s School of Politics, Economics and Philosophy.”
Angus Hanton, Intergenerational Foundation Co-founder, said: “This conference aims to join academic thinking with practical policy solutions. It is intended that those involved in policy-making will better understand why governments should be doing more to protect the interests of younger and future generations and what practical measures could be implemented to ensure this happens.
“Intergenerational justice is the moral issue of our day as the interests of younger and future generations are increasingly sacrificed to meet the needs, expectations, obligations and promises of the here and now. Short-term gain has won out over long-term sustainability and conspired with increasing longevity, to cause massive intergenerational tensions never before witnessed in western economies.”
For further information and tickets visit http://york2013intergenerational.eventbrite.com
Notes to editors:
- More information on the University’s School of Politics, Economics and Philosophy at www.york.ac.uk/pep
- More information on the Intergenerational Foundation at www.if.org.uk
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