Relational Equality and Intergenerational Justice

Examining Social Hierarchy Across Generations

By: Devon Cass

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eText | 18 May 2026 | Edition Number 1

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Intergenerational justice concerns what is owed between members of different generations, including what we existing today owe those who will come to exist in the future. This subfield has become increasingly important in recent years; however, due to the absence of coexistence and other aspects of the intergenerational context, it is often unclear whether and how many ideals of justice apply.

Relational egalitarianism - the view that justice requires eliminating certain forms of social hierarchy and realising certain kinds of equal social relationships - may appear particularly problematic in this regard, focused as it is on the quality of social relations. The chapters in this volume examine and take up this issue, with some authors developing and characterising the challenge, showing more precisely what is at stake, whilst others chart possible ways of resisting the challenge. Contributors explore temporal non-overlap arguments, institutional status frameworks, social categories, and power relations across generations.

Essential reading for political philosophers, moral theorists, and scholars of democratic theory examining the intersection of equality and intergenerational obligations. The volume advances understanding of both intergenerational justice and relational egalitarianism, offering rich insights for academic researchers and advanced students in political philosophy, ethics, and social theory. This book was originally published as a special issue of Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy.