Introduction
Human life is a mystery that blossoms today and withers after a short while. The main question is whether it is essential to care about the future or whether our efforts are valuable, knowing that life will end at one point. Although Trisel and Partridge, the authors of the selected readings, may have differing arguments about efforts to care for the future, I argue that it is essential to care for it, as it provides present-day satisfaction.
According to their school of thought, lifespan varies among individuals, but a predetermined destiny awaits all mortals: death. All efforts to achieve current and future goals may be considered futile and meaningless if they do not count after they are gone. The works of Ernest Partridge and Alan Trisel confront the daunting menace of human extinction. While Trisel invites humanity to reconsider their efforts, arguing that they will not count in the end, Partridge encourages people to understand their long-term impact on the future and help them care more. Efforts to care for the future are not meaningless because they give present-day satisfaction and improve an individual’s quality of life.
Humanity, a Doomed Race in a Dying Universe
Every human effort to care for others or the environment gives pleasure. However, the idea of immortality and the inevitability of human life’s end may demoralize people from working hard and setting future goals. A person may want to work hard to leave a mark on the world by resolving a particular problem.
However, Trisel argues that the “goal of leaving an enduring, appreciable trace is not important” because after all people are dead, it will no longer matter (374). The author’s argument implies that working is useless and pointless. However, Partridge’s other argument emphasizes a person’s moral duty to society and the need to do all that is possible to make life more sustainable (209). Based on the arguments, I say that taking care of the environment and others brings them joy and peace.
Caring for the future also helps people improve their personality and well-being. According to Partridge, caring for the environment is “essential to the very nature of a well-functioning human personality” and should be nurtured for better outcomes (206). However, the authors’ arguments form a new school of thought that identifies the primary reason for existence. Although human life is limited, it is formed with a purpose, and every person has a unique talent.
It is essential to draw on Partridge’s argument that caring for the future strengthens humanity’s reason for existence. A person will feel content when they fulfill their life’s dream. Striving to preserve the future may be vanity, as future generations may not like it, but it gives a person a reason to struggle and improve their present life (Trisel 379). It gives people a reason to struggle and make their lives better. I firmly believe that caring for the future is therefore justified because it helps people lead better lives today.
Benefits of Caring About the Future
Caring for the future and leaving a mark serve as a motivation for people to improve their lives. Trisel dismisses the desire to leave a mark on the world, stating that “when the world ends, it will not matter” what a person did or achieved (391). I, however, dispute the argument, stating that the achievement provides present-day fulfillment and happiness. An explanation can be given to answer the question as to why people are given different abilities and talents in life. The main reason is to use them to find purpose in and serve others, as people must coexist with others. Further, caring brings present-day happiness, makes people more comfortable, and helps them overcome the possibility of extinction.
Wangari Maathai is a Kenyan political activist who won a Nobel Prize for caring about the environment by planting trees through the Greenbelt Movement (Wachira 332). It further gave her a sense of responsibility: since humans were responsible for destroying the ozone layer, planting trees would help maintain the environment. Wangari’s idea of supporting the present-day generation by improving their quality of life is further justified by Partridge’s argument that “the need to extend oneself to serve humanity” offers fulfillment (207). Although Wangar’s achievements may be considered vanity after she died in 2011, I say they can be a source of inspiration for many to lead a hopeful life today.
Caring for the future gives emotional fulfillment and improves general well-being. I am exploring an emotional trajectory that may lay the basis of a new argument foor caring for the future. Since loved ones will live on earth in the future, the present-day generation has a moral duty to care for the environment and ensure it remains sustainable for future generations (Trisel 375). The ethical arguments of the two authors converge on the moral need to care for the world and make it a better place than it was at the arrival of the people. It is, however, imperative to note that efforts and a desire for a better future will only make sense when one is optimistic and hopes for the best for future generations.
The thought of being remembered for solving a problem can give one intrinsic motivation to be more productive in one’s present life. While there are arguments that life is short and one walks through the walls of oblivion sooner or later, I persist that their achievements will shine throughout life and improve the quality of life for others. The thought that one’s actions improve others’ lives offers a sense of peace and fulfillment.
Trisel argues that it is not “necessary for humanity to live forever, or for a long time, for one’s life to be meaningful” but depends on their achievements (374). It is not the number of years a person lives but the quality of life one lives. Even if one lives for only a short time, their achievements may transform the world. Since the goal is to live a high-quality life in the present, achievements that transcend generations help improve their well-being.
The Concept of Transcendence and Caring for the Remote Future
People should care for the environment and the future because they are part of its destruction. Numerous human activities are major contributors to global destruction. For example, massive industrialization increases carbon footprints, thereby depleting the ozone layer. Consequently, the climate crisis poses an existential threat and makes the world uninhabitable.
Since humans are the key contributors to the world’s challenges, they should be responsible for caring for the environment, at least leaving it in a better state than when they arrived (Partridge 209). Self-transcendence is a philosophy and spirituality in which people can imagine a dream larger than their minds can comprehend. For example, planting trees may benefit numerous generations, help protect them from global warming, and provide them with fresh air.
The concept of caring for the future relates to transcendence because it underscores the importance of interconnectedness, continuity, and ethical responsibility. Even though humans may not be here in the future, transcendence makes them believe that their actions will impact future generations and must therefore be positive to bring people peace and the ability to live in harmony. According to Trisel, the human future depends on today’s activities (389). It further shows people’s foresight, as they can care for the remote future through better actions in today’s world.
Compassion and altruism are critical parameters aligned with caring for the future, because people who prioritize the needs of others over their own are more likely to do so. Legacy, environmental stewardship, and the preservation of value have an intrinsic impact on determining the present-day quality of life (Partridge 217). Partridge further argues that there is a basic human need for transcendence, and therefore caring for the future fulfills this need.
Although Trisel argues that human efforts may be pointless if the future is not guaranteed, the concept distinguishes people based on their personality. However, I persist in my claims that it gives them reasons to care for the future. As people care for the environment and protect the world for the betterment of the future, it offers additional rationale. Consequently, the need to care for the future and the question of whether the efforts are worth it depend on a person’s personality and exposure.
Eco-Care Guardianship Theory
The theoretical framework answers some of the vital questions raised by the arguments in three prongs: long-term wellbeing, interconnected stewardship, and the essential value of nature. The arguments presented by Trisel and Partridge conflict over whether it is noteworthy to care for the environment. While both arguments are weighty based on the evidence they present, a sustainability and duty ethic theory may be developed to guide humanity. Although the human race may be doomed in a dying universe, there is a duty to care because of the sense of responsibility instilled by human activities that have brought about the change.
Virtue ethics helps develop another theory: that people should develop ethical characters to care for the environment and ensure it is maintained for future generations. The rationale is that if the people who existed before could not care for the environment, the present-day generation would suffer (Afsar and Waheed 113). Therefore, the duty to care is instilled to ensure that people can manage existing resources and lead lives that improve the world’s situation.
The ideology that future generations will appreciate present-day efforts gives hope and empowers people to be more productive in the long run. For example, a person planting trees in this generation will not enjoy the benefits of their planting. However, people in future generations will be able to appreciate in the same way people enjoyed others’ efforts in the past.
In the colonial era, when European powers conquered and colonized different nations, it took the efforts of a few individuals to fight against colonialism, and some lost their lives in the process (Partridge 213). However, because of their death, other people became free, and generations celebrated their efforts. The argument of the freedom fighters aligns with the concept of transcendence and encourages people to fulfill their duty towards future generations.
People feel contentment when performing noble, recognized, and celebrated duties, which helps them overcome their negative thoughts in the long run. As desires to make life better escalate, they ripple through standards, leading people to work harder to deliver better results. Human efforts in caring for the future matter because they not only improve the quality of life but also help people increase their standards and, therefore, improve how people live. Further, although Trisel argues that it is challenging to satisfy the quasi-immortal self, dedication to serving future generations and doing something worthwhile improves present-day life.
A combination of the arguments presents a different school of thought: that the present-day generation exists because previous generations set the precedent. It is, therefore, the duty of the present-day generation to also take care of the environment to enhance sustainability for future generations. Intrinsic motivation may not necessarily be to make future generations comfortable, but rather to give people peace, a sense of contentment, and peace of mind.
Conclusion
Humanity exists temporarily, and all human actions may be regarded as vanity upon vanity. Trisel offered an intricate relationship between human efforts for the future and their pointlessness. On the other hand, Partridge argued that humanity has an essential duty to protect the future. Although the arguments differ over whether human effort is necessary for the future, they both converge on the importance of living a fulfilling life. Humans must therefore take care of future generations, not only because it is a duty but also because it gives people a sense of contentment and helps them lead a high-quality life.
Works Cited
Afsar, Bilal, and Waheed Ali Umrani. “Corporate social responsibility and pro‐environmental behavior at the workplace: The role of moral reflectiveness, coworker advocacy, and environmental commitment.” Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, vol. 27, no. 1, 2020, pp. 109-125.
Partridge, Ernest. “Why care about the future?.” The Ethics of the Environment. Routledge, 2017, pp. 203–220.
Trisel, Brooke Alan. “Human extinction and the value of our efforts.” The Philosophical Forum. Vol. 35, no. 3, 2004, pp. 371-391.
Wachira, James. “Wangari Maathai’s environmental Afrofuturist imaginary in Wanuri Kahiu’s Pumzi.” Critical Studies in Media Communication. Vol. 37, no. 4, 2020, pp. 324-336.