phil 230

• Discounting Rate


  The theory in order to combat negative externalities upon others in the future, we will discount a certain amount now, so that the future can get a premium in order to deal with what we spilled over to them
• Budolfson's arguments against the view that vegan and/or organic diets minimize harm


  • Objections to the view → pro-organic has no other important goals beyond simply minimizing our footprint on the environment, their "fake positives" that also lead to very bas negative consequences
  • Very important empirical assumptions, and objections to their normative assumptions, and mistakenly assumes that producing enough food to feed the world is not an important dimension of value
  • They also don't take into account that many parts of our world is unchangeable/incredibly hard to change
• 3 forms of equity


  • Procedural equity
  • Geographic equity
  • Social equity
• Procedural equity


  Fairness in governing rules, regulations, evaluation criteria, and enforcement applied in a non-discriminatory way - in government and public settings
• Geographic equity


  The location and spatial configuration of communities, and their proximity to environmental hazards and locally unwanted land uses
• Social equity


  The role of sociological factors such as race ethnicity class culture lifestyle and political power in environmental decision making
• Statistical Lives


  The lives of the people who are affected but cannot be identified
• Types of protest


  • Conscientious Refusal
  • Conscientious Evasion
  • Militant Action
  • Civil Disobedience
• Conscientious Refusal


  A protester publicly refuses to obey the law or personal, ethical or religious reasons
• Conscientious Evasion


  A protester refuses to obey a law for personal ethical or religious reasons but does not wish to get caught and tried to keep their actions secret
• Militant Action


  Involves coercion, property damage, or violence
• Civil Disobedience


  Used broadly to describe any kind of conscientious noncompliance with law bur more narrowly as public, nonviolent, deliberately unlawful act of protest – done with intent to bring about change
• Principles and Sinnott-Armstrong's arguments against them


  • The harm principle
  • The indirect harm principle
  • The contribution principle
  • The risk principle
• The harm principle


  We have obligation not to perform an act that causes harm to others

  OBJECTION: it centers around the idea that individual actions contributing to harm, such as greenhouse gas emissions in the context of global warming, are not sufficient or necessary to cause the harm itself
• The indirect harm principle


  We have a moral obligation not to perform an act that causes harm to others indirectly by causing someone to carry out acts that cause harm to others

  OBJECTION: insinuates that it is on every person morally, whenever doing something that indirectly causes harm like going for a joy ride shouldn't be put on the person, morally
• The contribution principle


  We have a moral obligation not to make problems worse

  OBJECTION: things would be just as bad if i didn't do the thing
• The risk principle


  Individuals are morally responsible for their actions if they engage in behavior that creates an unjustifiable risk of harm to others, even if no actual harm occurs

  OBJECTION: People should not be held morally responsible for things that are beyond their control such as accidents or events that do not result in harm despite posing a risk
• Subsistence emissions


  Emissions that individual or communities require to meet their basic needs for survival health and well-being as they are essential for human beings life
• Luxury emissions


  Emissions beyond what is required for subsistence
• Polluter Pays Principle (Caney)


  Someone who induces an act of pollution, is going to pay for those actions, and this allows us to ascribe greater responsibilities

  OBJECTION: hard to apply because much of the pollution is caused by policies of earlier generations, who pays when the polluter is no longer alive?
• Hybrid Account Approach (Caney)


  Individuals have a right to not suffer from the negative impacts of global climate change, as these consequences directly affect fundamental interests such as health, safety, and stability, thereby imposing obligations on others to mitigate these harms.
• The 'Wrong Require Victims' Principle


  Suggests causing harm needs victims and if there is no one that is going to be hurt then it can be challenging to argue that we have a moral obligation towards them

  It causes a problem because those advocating for a moral obligation because future persons are not identifiable, unlike present individuals who can be directly affected by our actions
• Utilitarianism


  The most happiness overall and the end result matters the most
• Consequentialism


  The most happiness overall and the end result matters the most
• Virtue Ethics


  Individual morals and approach
• Intrinsic Value

  There is value in itself
• Instrumental Value

  There is only value in its use a means to an end
• Liberalism

  Individual liberty, equality, active role govt + govt protecting these rights
• Libertarianism

  individual liberty, equality, non-active role govt + govt is limited in protecting rights
• Moderate deontology


  Flexibility within moral rules based on context
• Absolute deontology


  Strict adherence to moral rules without exceptions