Definitions and interpretations Flashcards
How is sustainable development defined according to Brundtland?
Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
Which are the three main dimensions of Sustainable Development?
- The ecological
- The economic
- The social
What are ecosystem services?
It is usually defined as the “direct and indirect contributions ecosystems make to human well-being”
What does Hume’s law say?
We can’t conclude what we should do simply by observing the way things are. You can’t derive an ought from an is.
What is final value?
States of affairs that we consider valuable in and of themselves have final value, ex. human life, happiness, truth, knowledge.
What is instrumental value?
Instrumental value is derived from contributing to a final value (or something else with instrumental value). If we think human well-being has final value then ex. good friends or money have instrumental value.
What is anthropocentrism?
The perspective that only humans have moral standing and human needs have final value and therefore grant humans special status. Sustainable development expands the circle of moral concern to also include future generations. In this case nature does not have moral standing and therefore protecting the environment only has instrumental value.
What is zoocentrism?
The perspective that a part from humans, also sentient-animals have moral standing. This is not about treating everyone exactly the same, ex. animals should not have the same set of rights as humans (ex. vote), but to take into account the interests of animals in societal decisions.
What is biocentrism?
The perspective that the circle of moral concern cover all life: humans, other animals, non-sentient animals and plants. Humans have an obligation not to harm other life forms or prevent their possibility of life, but they have no obligation to help grass grow better or feed starving animals.
What is ecocentrism?
From the individual to the collective. In this perspective the focus shifts from the individual to the whole and to groups. In radical ecocentrism, only the landscape or the ecosystem - the whole - has moral standing. By this view, individuals only have instrumental value by virtue of maintaining the function of ecosystems. Ecosystems take on value by certain properties, including stability, integrity and beauty. Radical ecocentric ethics assign moral standing to species, not individuals.
Which are the three main dimensions of Sustainable Development? Give a short description of each dimension
- The ecological: this dimension has to do with sustaining natural systems so that they can keep providing humans with important utility.
- The economic/governance: this dimension involves managing the resources required to meet human needs.
- The social: controversy over what it actually includes. Should be thought of as the preconditions for building societies that allow human needs to be met.
How can the ecological(/environmental) dimension be divided?
Can be divided into the environmental production capacity and the environmental assimilative capacity.
The environmental production capacity is the ability to provide humans with natural goods broadly conceived ex. clean water, cropland and forests that can be used for food, fuel or other products - in short, renewable natural resources.
The environmental assimilative capacity involves the ability to handle a variety of pollutants and environmental impacts, ex. the oceans absorb massive amounts of carbon dioxide. The dimension can be understood as a boundary we must not cross. If we ruin earth there is nothing to do with our money.
How can the economic dimension be divided?
The dimension can be divided into two parts; finite natural resources and human-made capital.
Finite natural resources include fossil-fuels, metals and phosphorus. They are part of the ecological system and are not renewable. How should they be allocated among generations to come?
Human-made capital means assets created by people to produce other goods and services. To a rough approximation this can be divided into physical capital - buildings and factories - and human capital - human knowledge.
How can the social dimension be divided?
Holmberg and Larsson suggest dividing the social dimension into vertical and horizontal social relations.
Horizontal relations are networks built by people and organizations. Well developed horizontal relations increase trust among people, our current market economy is one example.
Vertical relations are often those we call formal institutions, those that have systems of rules and a hierarchical structure, can be social insurance systems, legal systems. Here efficiency is required along with impartiality and low tolerance for corruption.
When discussing sustainable development one can talk about ends, means and preconditions. What is the end, i.e., the goal of sustainable development?
The end goal of sustainable development is to achieve human well-being and flourishing for current and future generations, in a way that respects planetary boundaries and ensures that resources are used equitably. This encompasses not only meeting basic needs such as access to clean water, food, healthcare, and education but also ensuring social equity, economic prosperity, and environmental sustainability, so that future generations can enjoy a healthy planet and a fair society.
An end refers to the ultimate goal or outcome that society seeks to achieve. These are the desired conditions or objectives that sustainable development aims to fulfill, such as ensuring a high quality of life, well-being, and long-term ecological stability for present and future generations. Ends focus on what we want to accomplish rather than how we get there.
What are the means to achieving the goal “sustainable development”?
Tools used for fulfilling the goal, they depend on context and can change over time. For example: technological innovation and clean energy and education
What are the preconditions for sustainable development?
Ecological: nature’s productivity and capacity to assimilate
Economic: Finite resources and human-made capital
Social: Horizontal and vertical relationships.
What is the final value according to the Brundtland definition of sustainable development?
Human well-being, both now and in the future, is the ultimate value, with an emphasis on equity, social justice, and environmental sustainability to support long-term development and prosperity for all
Describe briefly what the social dimension of sustainable development includes, and how it relates to the final value of sustainable development.
It relates to the final value of sustainable development—ensuring well-being for both present and future generations—by addressing social inequalities and improving living conditions, which are essential for long-term societal stability and prosperity. Ensuring fairness and equity in resource distribution and access to opportunities is key to achieving this goal.
The social dimension of sustainable development focuses on promoting social well-being, equity, and justice within and across societies. This dimension addresses issues such as poverty alleviation, health, education, human rights, social inclusion, and equitable access to resources. It emphasizes improving quality of life for all people, reducing inequalities, and fostering resilient communities that can thrive sustainably. Integrating the social dimension into sustainable development ensures that progress benefits everyone and respects human rights and cultural diversity.
What are the pair of opposites presented in the course book?
- Anthropocentrism vs. ecocentrism
- High substitutability vs. Low substitutability
- Technology fix vs. Lifestyle change
- Efficiency vs. Sufficiency
- Individual action/solutions vs. Political solutions
- Reform vs. Radical change
What is anthropocentrism vs ecocentrism
Anthropocentrism grants moral standing exclusively to humans; if nature has value whatsoever, it is instrumental, ex. contingent on the good it does humans. Ecocentrism grants moral standing to entire ecosystems
What is high substitutability vs low substitutability?
A belief in high substitutability entails believing that goods and services offered by nature are easy to replace. A belief in low substitutability goes hand-in-hand with holding that natural capital should be protected and kept as intact as possible, in order to protect utility for humans.
What is Strong vs weak sustainability: (nämns i annat kapitel än resten av olikheterna)?
Strong vs weak sustainability: (nämns i annat kapitel än resten av olikheterna)
Is it possible to replace natural capital (finite and renewable natural resources) with human made capital(something we have produced ourselves, ex. machines, knowledge)? Those who say Yes are advocates of weak sustainability and those who say No are advocates of strong sustainability. Weak sustainability believes in high substitutability and strong sustainability believes in low substitutability. Weak sustainability is often connected to high technological optimism.
What is Technology fix vs. Lifestyle change?
Those who believe in technology see technological breakthroughs as our main path to solving major global challenges. On the other end of the spectrum are those who lack faith in the ability of technology, it will not be enough to save the day. The focus here is instead on having people change their values and behaviour, either toward a more biocentric ethics or toward less materialistic values.
What is Efficiency vs. Sufficiency?
A strong faith in efficiency leads some to believe that by simply making household appliances, cars and other technologies more efficient, we will not need to worry about how many we have or how much we use them. Proponents of sufficiency hold that the actual service itself, or the number of products, must be limited in order to make an absolute reduction in resource use
What is Individual action/solutions vs. Political solutions?
Those who believe in individual action believe in the idea that if individuals were simply to live environmentally friendly lives, we would solve our common sustainability problems; they have no faith in policymakers’ ability or desire to solve the problems. Others think that the responsibility has to be shouldered by the political systems, firstly since the sustainability challenge is considered such a large problem that the solution requires centralized control, secondly it does not seem fair to blame individuals when all of society bears responsibility, collective solutions are required
What is Reform vs. Radical change?
Reformism is defined by the belief that only small adjustments are needed to solve the problems a system faces, not fundamental changes to the system. The more radical perspective instead sees the problem as stemming from how society is organized and views society as that which needs to be fundamentally changed, small adjustments simply mean that we will get there a bit more slowly instead of avoiding it altogether
Describe the difference between moral standing, final value and instrumental value
If something has moral standing then how we treat it matters, morally.
States of affairs that we consider valuable in and of themselves have final value, ex. human life, happiness, truth
Instrumental value is derived from contributing to a final value (or something with instrumental value). If we think human well-being has final value then money and good friends have instrumental value.
Give concrete examples of what geocentrists typically claim have moral standing and final value
Geocentrists: Focus on the Earth as a whole, emphasizing its well-being and protection as a central moral concern. Their ethical framework prioritizes the health and sustainability of the planet, including all its systems, regardless of how these affect human life.
Moral standing:
- Ecosystems: Entire ecosystems are seen as having moral standing because their health and function are essential for the Earth’s stability.
- Earth’s biosphere: The biosphere, as the interconnected web of life and natural systems on the planet, may also be considered to have moral standing due to its essential role in supporting all life forms
Final value:
- The stability of Earth’s climate: The climate is seen as having final value because a stable climate ensures the balance of - Earth’s systems, regardless of the benefits to humans.
- Biodiversity as a whole: Not just individual species but the overall diversity of life on Earth may be viewed as having final value, with the intrinsic worth of variety being essential to planetary health.
Which entities have moral standing within the ethical framework of radical ecocentrism?
Only the landscape or the ecosystem has moral standing
Which environmental ethical theories ascribe moral standing to biodiversity and mammals as individuals?
Biodiversity - ecocentrism and maybe biocentrism
Mammals as individuals - zoocentrism, biocentrism
What is the difference between intrinsic value and final value?
Intrinsic value refers to the value something has “in itself,” independently of any external factors or its usefulness to others. It means that the thing is valuable simply because of its inherent nature.
Final value, on the other hand, is the value something has as an “end goal” or “ultimate purpose.” Something with final value is valued for its own sake, rather than as a means to an end.
