Pluralism, Pragmatism, and Sustainability - DJ Chapter 11

Exam 4

Author

DJ Chapter 11

What is DJ’s main argument?

Who is right? (Biocentrism, Ecocentrism, Ecocentrism, Land Ethic, Deep Ecology, Social Ecology, Ecofeminism, Hale Justificatory Justificatory Liberalism, etc.)

What do we do if we can’t figure it out?

• If we can’t figure it out, then we get pushed back to relativism. You choose. 

• We can make sense of disagreements, but we can’t make  a guide because there is no right answer

• As a result, we are ignoring the fact that we made improvements

What is relativism compared to?

Ice cream flavors

What does DJ say about all of the these?

But the views agree on so much! Such as:

Treating the world as a mere resource is deficient.

Consumer demand isn’t alone sufficient to determine right action, polity, or value. (we might want to use fossil fuels but its not right)

We need to take out activities with less arrogant and more humility

Do we need to seek a unified perspective: can we make decisions without them?

• Rational ethical answers may not require definite answers. (e.g. hale’s process)

• Why should we expect ethics to comprise of something single, universal process for reaching a correct answer)

Explain the doctor’s toolkit analogy?

He uses the analogy of a doctor’s toolbox to illustrate that just like different tools are used for different practices, maybe different theories are useful for different processes, but not all.

• Such as a stethoscope can be used to listen to your lungs and heart, and cannot be used for getting a temperature. The theories are lenses/perspectives that each have different strengths

What idea does DJ propose?

Environmental Pragmatism

Environmental Pragmatism

Practical, aiming for what is achievable over some radical ideal.

• Maybe being achievable in the short term rather than making a huge plant

• Not a monist approach

What is pragmatism committed too?

Commitment to engage in free and open procedure for deciding rather than seeking a single true decision

Monist

There is asingleuniversal, true, ethical answer

Provide an example

On deciding how to use surrounding rural land

• task force might compromise landowners, farmers, developers, builders, Sierra Club, Audubon Society, local and state government.

• Each member of the task is monist. There is debate and arguing. They do disagree, but eventually, they recognize everyone’s perspective and reach an agreement and guidelines are produced.

What do the theories disagree and agree on?

Agree on what should be done, but disagree on why its important.

Such examples:

• Biocentrist: cares about all living things

• Utilitarianism: cares about living things that can experience pain and pleasure

• Ecocentrism: Cares about living things that contribute to the stability of the ecosystem

An example

If there is a species of owls that is essential to the ecosystem. They  would all agree that we should care about this animal. They may disagree on where the value comes from, but care about the value

Eventually what will occir

Eventually agreements were noted and guidelines produced: agreement on what should be done (disagreement on why)

What is an alternative?

Alternative is to let things continue unregulated and unaddressed.

• It is unrealistic, unreasonable, and perhaps unfair to expect or desire that one side completely triumphs without compromise

Environmental Pragmatism Objections

1) What if the status-quo is the root of our problems?

• We can’t compromise all the way down because nothing will change

2) Pragmatism never escapes relativism

• We are allowing people to hold onto their views even if there are disagreements

What does DJ say in response to 1) What if the status-quo is the root of our problems?

Practices and values change slowly and co-evolv

What does DJ say in response to 2) Pragmatism never escapes relativism

It is possible for different judgements to be equally reasonable. Still, there are standards for reasonableness…not just anything goes

Conclusion: Sustainability Revisited

Environmental concerns are one among many: social justice, economic, politic

• In the call for wildlife and wilderness preservation, displacing indigenous folks seems more than a little heavy-handed.

Although we aren’t focused on a single right answer, tradoffs are inevitable

Tradeoffs are inevitable in democracy decision making because it requires compromise when people disagree.

• Involve local peoples’ decision-making, help realize short and long term well-being

DJ’s Monism vs. (pluralist) pragmatism-

Environmental pragmatists are pluralists because they are committed to multiple ways of thinking and pragmatism because they want to make progress rather than focus on the one right answer. They said it's not both

Monism: tells us a clear end point. (gps)

Pragmatist: puts on guardrails, Guidelines to prevent decision makers from going too far astray in any direction, a generally established oath with compromise

So what does DJ say we should emphasize?

We should emphasize slow progress rather than going to the right answer.