Environmental Ethics and Decision Theory: Fellow Travellers or Bitter Enemies?

摘要: Publisher Summary Often decision theory and ethics are depicted as in conflict: They seem to give different advice about certain kinds of compromises. But this chapter argues that is more a matter the idealizations, budget constraints, time-scales attended theory-based approaches. There no in-principle conflict, although practice would need change reflect time scale dynamics explicitly order for two be reconciled. Specific cases discussion environmental triage carbon trading offsets. also reasons concerned political side issue—in general, theoretic approaches probabilities values inputs. The uncertainty there (or can politically generated) these, easier it paralyze process. Together with challenge future values, economics tends assume substitutions always available, so sets value forest—say, 40 years hence—so low one can't economically justify cost replanting today; these difficulties make public policy decisions look very difficult indeed. A deontological rule cannot motivated any particular case unless following will, or at least will likely contribute best bringing ends value. An important corollary recognition accepting deontic constraints on choices makes good sense from point view modest one's ability anticipate effects choices, reflecting prudence limits predictive powers.