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<p>The final paragraph of Derek Parfit’s <i>On What Matters: Volume 2</i> reads: “What now matters most is that we avoid ending human history. If there are no rational beings elsewhere, it may depend on us and our successors whether it will all be worth it, because the existence of the Universe will have been on the whole good.” Why focus on rationality? I’ll sketch some reasons for and against the idea that the continued existence of rational beings likely leads to a universe that ought to be—a justified universe—and conclude the idea is plausible. I’ll also argue the reason we have to justify the universe isn’t just a reason we may have to make it better, and that a universe that ought to be requires a new kind of normative reason—an existential kind.</p>

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Justifying our universe with humans

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月11日

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  • Austin McGrath

摘要

The final paragraph of Derek Parfit’s On What Matters: Volume 2 reads: “What now matters most is that we avoid ending human history. If there are no rational beings elsewhere, it may depend on us and our successors whether it will all be worth it, because the existence of the Universe will have been on the whole good.” Why focus on rationality? I’ll sketch some reasons for and against the idea that the continued existence of rational beings likely leads to a universe that ought to be—a justified universe—and conclude the idea is plausible. I’ll also argue the reason we have to justify the universe isn’t just a reason we may have to make it better, and that a universe that ought to be requires a new kind of normative reason—an existential kind.