Van Rensselaer Potter, Climate Change, and Justice
When Van Rensselaer Potter coined the English word “bioethics”, he envisioned a field that would bring together biological understanding and ethical values to address global environmental problems. Following Potter’s broad vision of bioethics, I explore ethical ideas that we need to address climate...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Programmes de bioéthique, École de santé publique de l'Université de Montréal
2022-03-01
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| Series: | Canadian Journal of Bioethics |
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| Online Access: | https://cjb-rcb.ca/index.php/cjb-rcb/article/view/346 |
| _version_ | 1818357848217747456 |
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| author | James Dwyer |
| author_facet | James Dwyer |
| author_sort | James Dwyer |
| collection | DOAJ |
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When Van Rensselaer Potter coined the English word “bioethics”, he envisioned a field that would bring together biological understanding and ethical values to address global environmental problems. Following Potter’s broad vision of bioethics, I explore ethical ideas that we need to address climate change. However, I develop and emphasize ideas about justice and responsibility in ways that Potter did not. At key points, I contrast the ideas that I develop with those in Potter’s work, but I try to avoid scholarly debates and stay focused on the practical task: developing ideas to help us address climate change. To begin, I describe the problem of climate change. Then I show how it raises deep and serious issues of justice. Since the issues of justice are relatively clear and compelling, I proceed to focus attention on issues of responsibility – on why and how to respond to the structural injustices of climate change. I also note how my emphasis on justice and responsibility raises two new issues. To conclude, I mention the role of ecological citizens in bringing about social change.
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| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T20:19:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e424604e459a40f4be2fe330e0d44805 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2561-4665 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T20:19:37Z |
| publishDate | 2022-03-01 |
| publisher | Programmes de bioéthique, École de santé publique de l'Université de Montréal |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Canadian Journal of Bioethics |
| spelling | doaj.art-e424604e459a40f4be2fe330e0d448052022-12-21T23:32:43ZengProgrammes de bioéthique, École de santé publique de l'Université de MontréalCanadian Journal of Bioethics2561-46652022-03-015110.7202/1087207arVan Rensselaer Potter, Climate Change, and JusticeJames Dwyer0Bioethics and Humanities, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA When Van Rensselaer Potter coined the English word “bioethics”, he envisioned a field that would bring together biological understanding and ethical values to address global environmental problems. Following Potter’s broad vision of bioethics, I explore ethical ideas that we need to address climate change. However, I develop and emphasize ideas about justice and responsibility in ways that Potter did not. At key points, I contrast the ideas that I develop with those in Potter’s work, but I try to avoid scholarly debates and stay focused on the practical task: developing ideas to help us address climate change. To begin, I describe the problem of climate change. Then I show how it raises deep and serious issues of justice. Since the issues of justice are relatively clear and compelling, I proceed to focus attention on issues of responsibility – on why and how to respond to the structural injustices of climate change. I also note how my emphasis on justice and responsibility raises two new issues. To conclude, I mention the role of ecological citizens in bringing about social change. https://cjb-rcb.ca/index.php/cjb-rcb/article/view/346Van Rensselaer Potterbioethicsclimate changejusticeresponsibility |
| spellingShingle | James Dwyer Van Rensselaer Potter, Climate Change, and Justice Canadian Journal of Bioethics Van Rensselaer Potter bioethics climate change justice responsibility |
| title | Van Rensselaer Potter, Climate Change, and Justice |
| title_full | Van Rensselaer Potter, Climate Change, and Justice |
| title_fullStr | Van Rensselaer Potter, Climate Change, and Justice |
| title_full_unstemmed | Van Rensselaer Potter, Climate Change, and Justice |
| title_short | Van Rensselaer Potter, Climate Change, and Justice |
| title_sort | van rensselaer potter climate change and justice |
| topic | Van Rensselaer Potter bioethics climate change justice responsibility |
| url | https://cjb-rcb.ca/index.php/cjb-rcb/article/view/346 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jamesdwyer vanrensselaerpotterclimatechangeandjustice |