Prudent reflective equilibrium and the climate crisis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47456/sofia.v14i2.50951Keywords:
prudent reflective equilibrium, climate crisis, virtues, dutiesAbstract
The aim of this paper is to investigate to what extent the use of the reflective equilibrium (RE) method can point us towards our personal and institutional responsibility in the face of the climate crisis. To this end, I begin by characterizing the RE method and pointing out its limitations, especially its conservatism and relativism/subjectivism. Following this, I propose an alteration to the method, so as to allow for the use of the prudent agent's expertise in the initial selection of beliefs, in order to overcome the criticisms mentioned. The next step will then be to apply the prudent reflective equilibrium (PRE) method in the context of the climate crisis in order to identify our duties in the face of the problem and to understand the best course of public action. Finally, I make some concluding remarks on the problem investigated, suggesting some personal duties in the face of the climate crisis, as well as suggesting some courses of action that should be taken by the main public institutions to address the environmental problem.
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