The tremendous influence of John Locke's thought on the early American republic has been amply documented, and I will not reiterate that scholarship here. f61 But at least one aspect of Locke's influence deserves more attention than it has hitherto received. Locke's theories of intergenerational obligation and stewardship, which lie at the heart of his political philosophy, have received far too little attention from academicians and from the legal community. f62 By contrast, those same ideas were intimately familiar to the American founders. f63 To understand
The tremendous influence of John Locke's thought on the early American republic has been amply documented, and I will not reiterate that scholarship here. But at least one aspect of Locke's influence deserves more attention than it has hitherto received. Locke's theories of intergenerational obligation and stewardship, which lie at the heart of his political philosophy, have received far too little attention from academicians and from the legal community. By contrast, those same ideas were intimately familiar to the American founders. To understand the founders' ideas of intergenerational justice, and how those views might apply to modern issues, we must closely examine Locke's views on the matter.
John Locke's system of intergenerational ethics can be summarized in the form of five primary mandates: 1) We must preserve the human species; 2) We must treat the earth as though we were tenants, rather than owners; 3) We must not waste or destroy creation; 4) We must leave behind "enough and as good" for others; and 5) We must honor and preserve to the extent possible each generation's right to make its own political choices.
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