Justice and the Environment: Conceptions of Environmental Sustainability and Theories of Distributive JusticeEnvironmental sustainability and social, or distributive, justice are both widely regarded as desirable social objectives. But can we assume that they are compatible with each other? In this path-breaking study, Professor Dobson, a leading expert on environmental politics, analyses the complex relationship between these two pressing objectives. Environmental sustainability is taken to be a contested idea, and three distinct conceptions of it are described and explored. These conceptions are then examined in the context of fundamental distributive questions such as: Among whom or what should distribution take place? What should be distributed? What should the principle of distribution be? The author critically examines the claims of the `environmental justice' and `sustainable development' movements that social justice and environmental sustainability are points on the same virtuous circle, and concludes that radical environmental demands are only incompletely served by couching them in terms of justice. |
Contents
3 | |
Three Conceptions of Environmental Sustainability | 33 |
The Dimensions of Social Justice | 62 |
Critical Natural Capital and Social Justice Part I | 87 |
Critical Natural Capital and Social Justice Part II | 132 |
Irreversibility and Social Justice | 165 |
Natural Value and Social Justice | 216 |
Conclusion | 240 |
References | 263 |
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Common terms and phrases
answer appropriate argue argument basic structure Benton Brian Barry Chapter community of justice compatible conception of environmental conceptions of sustainability concerned conclusion consequentialist context critical natural capital de-Shalit debate discussion distributive justice ecocentric ecological economic environment environmental justice environmental justice movement environmental sustainability environmentalists ethical example Feinberg future generationism Goodin human welfare idea interests intergenerational justice international justice issue John Rawls justice and sustainability justice as impartiality least legitimate MacIntyre mental sustainability moral natural value non-human natural world Norton notion Nozick objective obligations particular political possible potential poverty preconditional principle of distribution principles of justice problem property rights protection proviso question Rawls Rawls's Rawlsian reasons recipients reference regarded relations relationship Robert Nozick sand dollars sentient social justice species substantive substitutability suggests sustainability and social sustainable development sustaining irreversible nature Table theories of justice tion typology University Walzer Wenz Wenz's Wissenburg 1993