The Sustainability Ethic: Political, Not Just Moral

Sustainable practices are commended to us both out of prudential regard for our own future and out of principled concern for the 'right to life' of endangered species, ecosystems and ways of life and for intergenerational justice among our own kind. The larger point of the 'sustainabi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of applied philosophy 1999, Vol.16 (3), p.247-254
Main Author: Goodwin, Robert E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Applied philosophy
Ecological sustainability
Economic resources
Morality
Philosophy
Philosophy of history. Social and political philosophy. Philosophy of law
Renewable energy
Social and political philosophy
Sustainable agriculture
Sustainable development
Sustainable economic development
Sustainable economies
Sustainable global economy
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Summary:Sustainable practices are commended to us both out of prudential regard for our own future and out of principled concern for the 'right to life' of endangered species, ecosystems and ways of life and for intergenerational justice among our own kind. The larger point of the 'sustainability ethic' might be more political, however. Insisting that any practice we adopt now must be sustainable into the indefinite future constitutes an institutional check preventing us from taking unfair advantage of our privileged temporal position vis-a-vis our successors.
ISSN:0264-3758
1468-5930
DOI:10.1111/1468-5930.00127