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An ethical norm of long-term human survival with universal dignity

Gerald McNerney (Member of US Congress House of Representatives, Washington, District of Columbia, USA)

Foresight

ISSN: 1463-6689

Article publication date: 30 January 2024

Issue publication date: 26 March 2024

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to create an ethical norm that will help guide the human race toward long-term survival.

Design/methodology/approach

The project posits a new societal ethical norm designed around a fundamental principle: the long-term survival of the human race with individual dignity. This study examines the requirements of the new norm and what is needed to achieve that goal.

Findings

There are three types of organizations that have the organizational and economic capacity to be responsible for future outcomes: governments, religions and corporations. These three types of organizations must act as if they have a moral compass that will compel them to develop and uphold the requirements for the survival of humanity with individual dignity.

Research limitations/implications

The analysis shows that a new, broader ethical norm must be established, and this norm implies that large organizations must act with a future embracing ethical behavior.

Practical implications

This study generates specific pathways for example: governments should adopt the just war principles and prohibitions on governments or other institutions from teaching any form of class superiority. These and other pathways are designed to diffuse threats to the fundamental principle.

Social implications

The fundamental principle includes universal human dignity. This means that the notion of individual dignity must be defined or understood, and the requirements to attain this goal must be identified.

Originality/value

This project takes concepts from long-termism, forward-looking collective responsibility, corporate social responsibility and the global catastrophic risk institute to advocate for a new ethical norm.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

Since submission of this article, the following author has updated their affiliation: Gerald McNerney is a Fellow at the Institute for Human Centered Artificial Intelligence at Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA and a Senior Policy Advisor at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, San Francisco, California and Washington, DC, USA.

Author Gerald McNerney did not receive any financial support to write this article.

Citation

McNerney, G. (2024), "An ethical norm of long-term human survival with universal dignity", Foresight, Vol. 26 No. 2, pp. 300-314. https://doi.org/10.1108/FS-11-2022-0142

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2024, Emerald Publishing Limited

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