nonidentity problem

The nonidentity problem arises in intergenerational ethics and questions whether present actions that affect future generations are morally justifiable if those actions also determine who those future individuals will be.1

For example, if a policy is enacted to mitigate environmental harm, it might alter historical events so significantly that the very people who would have been born in the future never come into existence. Instead, different individuals will exist. This raises the question: if a policy prevents a specific person from being born, can that person be said to be harmed by the policy, even if they would have suffered without it?.1

This philosophical puzzle challenges traditional ethical frameworks that assume we can identify and assess the well-being of future individuals. It highlights the complex relationship between our present choices and the identities of those who will come after us.1