Paula Casal

Life

Paula Casal is a contemporary moral and political philosopher. She earned her PhD from the University of Oxford. Casal has held academic positions at several institutions, including a Readership at the University of Reading and a position as ICREA Research Professor at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona. Her work primarily focuses on egalitarianism, global justice, and the family.

People Who Influenced Their Thought

• John Rawls: Casal's work on justice and equality is deeply engaged with Rawls's theory of justice, particularly his difference principle.
• Peter Singer: Singer's work on global poverty and effective altruism has influenced Casal's own contributions to these areas.
• Derek Parfit: Parfit's analysis of equality and his work on reasons and persons have shaped Casal's philosophical approach to population ethics and justice.

Main Ideas and Publications

• Global Justice and Taxation: Casal has written extensively on global taxation, notably on a global resources dividend or "Carbon Dividend" as a tool for global justice, published in various articles from the early 2000s onward.
• Human Procreation and Justice: She has analyzed the moral and political implications of procreation, arguing for a "just procreation" principle that considers the effects on global inequality and future generations.
• The Human Right to a Green Planet: Casal has argued for the recognition of a human right to an environmentally sustainable planet, linking environmental protection to fundamental human rights.
• The Stakeholder Society: Co-author of work supporting the idea of granting a substantial capital endowment to all citizens upon reaching adulthood, as proposed by Bruce Ackerman and Anne Alstott.

Controversies around her main work or thought

Casal's arguments for limiting procreation as a matter of justice have been controversial, with critics arguing they could be interpreted as justifying coercive population policies or that they infringe too heavily on personal liberty. Her proposals for significant global redistribution of wealth through taxation are also subject to standard criticisms from libertarian and nationalist perspectives that oppose such extensive obligations to non-compatriots.

Key People Influenced by Their Thought

• Ingrid Robeyns: Robeyns's work on limitarianism—the idea that there should be an upper limit to wealth—engages with and is supported by Casal's arguments about justice and inequality.
• Axel Gosseries: The political philosopher's work on intergenerational justice and procreative ethics is conducted in dialogue with Casal's contributions to the same field.
• Political Philosophers and Economists: Casal's clear arguments for global taxation and universal basic capital have influenced a generation of scholars and policymakers working on these instruments.

Legacy

She has made significant contributions to understanding the demands of global and intergenerational justice, particularly by analyzing the just distribution of natural resources and the moral dimensions of human procreation.