Abstract |
Natural world and environmental goods are absolutely interwoven with human survival, right political coexistence, and human welfare. Thus, in the present study we will approach them through the categories of “ethics of the right” and “ethics of the good”. Meanwhile, we will seek the value they possess (“which of them possess instrumental and which of them possess inherent value” and, moreover, “is it always the case that this discrimination is valid?”). Whilst, all the above knowledge regarding the great significance of the environmental goods, should have led us to the necessary assurance of them – so that all the members of the current generation are satisfied – we see that this does not reflect to the modern empirical reality. Therefore, we already speak of a justice deficit. Moreover, bearing in mind that, a possible failure in the maintenance of these goods in the present, will inevitably lead to their total loss in the future, the situation becomes more imperative; though this time concerning future people. In the above issues, two more are to be dealt with. Firstly, it’s not self- evident that the current generation of people owes anything at all to the future ones, due to some crucial problems that determine the status of future people, as well as our relation to them. Consequently, the preservation of environmental goods “in the name” of future people falls under the limitation mentioned above. And the question is “ Do we have reasons (reasons of justice) to preserve environmental goods for the sake of future people?”. Having defined these, we notice that the conversation shifts in some very important normative concepts; intergenerational justice and sustainability, according to which we will attempt to elaborate our moral obligations (as the current generation of people). The second issue, that is being examined in parallel with the first, illustrates a number of alternative understandings in approaching the content of sustainability, while combining it with different visions of what human welfare should mean. Climate change, which is the greatest environmental crisis globally, could at the same time be an opportunity for our (moral) reflection. On the one hand, reminding us the existence of “ecological limits”, on the other hand highlighting “global interconnection”. Bearing these in mind, important issues -regarding fair “cooperation”, “distribution” and “correction” (restoration)- shall arise. Focusing our study in the following questions: a. do the normative ideals, in which we reached, converge with the narrative and action of social movements of climate change?, b. which are, in this particular case, the movements that represent these ideals?, we shift to the main purpose of our study, which is to satisfactorily establish that, “ecological distribution conflicts”, could give prominence to the notion of “conflict” as a perfect example of “communicative action in practice”. And we will argue, that the above “concept”, is mobilized from the climate justice movement, in order to show that this social movement understands it’s purpose to be the embodiment of a global community “from below” that has taken over the responsibility to liberate from domination, to enable the determination of their normative vision – restoring justice intragenerationally and, at the meantime, shaping the issues intergenerationally, as well. Eventually, we argued that through the narrative and action of movements of environmental and climate justice, emerges a normative ideal that reinforces the claim that justice may be the first virtue of social institutions, but that it cannot be the only one.
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