The Issue of Historical Reparations

Historically, there have been many injustices, whether it be environmental, racial, in regards to sex, imperialism, etc. In regards to these wrongdoings that our predecessors have committed, how does society go about repairing the damages of these decisions. Should the guilt and blame of these actions be placed on a specific group/person's shoulder's? How do we decide if someone should be forced to pay these reparations, and if so who?

This issue is contemplated in the article "Environmental Degradation, Reparations, and the Moral Significance of History" by Simon Caney. In the article Caney discusses and argues the Causal and Beneficiary Accounts that are relevant when deciding how/who should pay "reparations" for environmental injustices. 

Based off the Causal account, those who caused the environmental issues should be the ones who pay for the reparations and should help those who suffered as a result of the action (Caney 467) . However, the implications of this account specifically must be applied to the exact people who committed the act. For example, the current citizens of Germany should not be blamed and forced to pay reparations for the aftermath of the Holocaust. Therefore, this arises an issue of who should pay for reparations after the people who committed the act have passed away and can no longer pay for the reparations themselves. 

In regards to the Beneficiary Account, this same issue of generational reparations occurs. This account states that those who have benefitted from the environmental injustices should pay the reparations, and sometimes those who have benefited alongside those who committed the act have passed away (Caney 471). Caney argues that the Beneficiary Account is unfair, as it may lead to people who were not involved in making the harmful action having to pay the reparations for something they had no part in. 

When applying this issue to the historical injustice of slavery, is the concept of paying "reparations" the same as environmental injustice? 

In regards to Caney's argument about reparations regarding climate change applying to reparations for slavery, I believe that it is appropriate to state that those who caused the damage should pay for its consequences. In regards to slavery, I think that the concept of "reparations" is much more simpler in the sense of knowing who to blame. Obviously, the slave owners should be to blame and the reparations they pay should be given to the slaves. In regards to environmental injustice, the issue is more blurry in regards as to who should pay the reparations. Generations can easily blame previous generations on the state of the planet, and therefore, the idea of who should pay for the damage is much more complicated. Some argue that industrialized countries should pay reparations to developing countries, but in a matter such as the environment everyone is negatively affected (of course some more than others). Therefore, why should modern industrialized countries who had no part in the decision making of previous leaders be subjected to paying reparations. Thus, it is hard to place the blame of issues onto individuals when the makers of the decisions are no longer alive. 

However, just because those who committed the injustices are dead, it does not mean that we should turn a blind eye to those who suffer from the actions previous generations made. Whether it be through governmental programs or media awareness, change should be made to those who suffer as it is not morally okay to allow people to suffer due to actions made from past generations.