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Justificatory Moral Pluralism: A Novel Form of Environmental Pragmatism

Andre Santos Campos and Sofia Guedes Vaz

Environmental Values, 2021, vol. 30, issue 6, 737-758

Abstract: Moral reasoning typically informs environmental decision-making by measuring the possible outcomes of policies or actions in light of a preferred ethical theory. This method is subject to many problems. Environmental pragmatism tries to overcome them, but it suffers also from some pitfalls. This paper proposes a new method of environmental pragmatism that avoids the problems of both the traditional method of environmental moral reasoning and of the general versions of environmental pragmatism. We call it ‘justificatory moral pluralism’ – it develops the intuition that normative ethical theories need not be mutually exclusive. This leaves room for important forms of pluralist environmental ethics that do not require a once-and-for-all prior commitment to an ethical theory when deciding about policies or courses of action related to the protection of the environment. Justificatory moral pluralism offers a viable solution to the recurrent conflicts between efficient environmental decisions and the need for moral reasoning.

Keywords: Environmental pragmatism; justificatory moral pluralism; moral reasoning; moral pluralism; value pluralism; methodological pluralism (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:envval:v:30:y:2021:i:6:p:737-758

DOI: 10.3197/096327121X16141642287601

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