Birthright Entitlements and Obligations in an Intergenerational Political Society.

The article examines the concept of political societies as essentially intergenerational groups, where membership and associated entitlements and obligations are acquired by birth or adoption, a principle termed the "birthright principle." It outlines how liberal political societies grant members irrevocable status and privileges from birth, including legal protections, civil rights, access to education, employment priority, and welfare support, which outsiders cannot claim. The article explores three main attempts to justify birthright entitlements: as morally basic duties embedded in social relationships, as justified through a two-tier moral framework balancing partial duties to compatriots with universal moral principles, and as arising from intrinsically valuable intergenerational relationships and projects. While none of these justifications is conclusive or universally accepted, together they explain the widespread acceptance of birthright membership in liberal societies and highlight ongoing tensions between communal obligations and universalist moral critiques, especially regarding fairness to outsiders and global justice.