An Atheist's Guide to Sainthood

In his time, Derek Parfit was the sort of academic philosopher that a well-read non-specialist might know. A charismatic philosophical figure, he appeared both on film and in print, occasionally featured in the Times and similar publications. His characteristic thought-experiment-driven reasoning is not so much in vogue today as in the past, but the discussions he began regarding personal identity, and the obligations present-day people have to future people, remain relevant. For instance, can we, by our policies and actions today, infringe upon the rights of future generations? Many would be inclined to think we can. If saddling our children with massive debt would do them wrong, that might raise serious questions about our present planning in economics and politics.