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Defining risk, motivating responsibility and rethinking global warming.
1Department of Philosophy, University of Florence, via Bolognese 52, Florence, Italy. furio.cerutti@unifi.it
Science and Engineering Ethics
|October 3, 2009
Summary
This study reframes global warming and nuclear weapons not as manageable risks, but as profound moral and political challenges. It explores our responsibility to future generations through the lens of transgenerational parenthood.
Area of Science:
- Philosophy
- Sociology
- Ethics
Background:
- The concept of 'risk society' often frames global challenges as manageable.
- Planetary threats like nuclear weapons and global warming pose unprecedented issues.
Purpose of the Study:
- To challenge the sociological notion of 'risk society'.
- To propose a philosophical perspective on global threats.
- To examine intergenerational responsibility and the concept of parenthood.
Main Methods:
- Philosophical argumentation.
- Conceptual analysis.
- Critique of sociological risk theory.
Main Results:
- Nuclear weapons and global warming are presented as ultimate moral and political challenges, not mere risks.
- Responsibility for future generations is framed through transgenerational parenthood, moving beyond justice-based arguments.
Conclusions:
- A shift in perspective is needed to address existential threats.
- Intergenerational ethics requires a deeper understanding of our role as ancestors.
- Rethinking our relationship with future generations is crucial for political and moral action.
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