Kantian Ethics and Environmental Philosophy - (Cycles) by Fiacha D Heneghan (Paperback)

About the Book

The most sustained analysis of Kant's thinking on obligations and desires, connecting his readings of ancient philosophy with pressing questions in contemporary environmental philosophy.

Book Synopsis

Human beings have desires and obligations. A Kantian framework reveals the morally significant conflict between these two. In the context of looming environmental crises of our own making, we may be forced in many respects to choose between environmental obligations and the pursuit of our well-being. Kantian Ethics and Environmental Philosophy begins by examining a tendency in philosophical thought as old as the Ancient Greeks: the temptation to minimize or even theorize away such conflicts. By contrast, this book argues that acknowledging the reality of the choices ahead is a necessary first step to forming a coherent and rational hope for a better world.

Review Quotes

Heneghan develops a novel approach to addressing the threats posed by climate change through a masterful application of Kant's analysis of the highest good. As such, he makes a significant contribution to both Kant scholarship and environmental philosophy in view of one of the most pressing issues of our time.--Christopher E. Fremaux, The University of Scranton

Through a meticulous engagement with Kant's writings on hope and the highest good, Heneghan develops a notion of radical hope through which philosophy becomes more than a consolation for the existence of suffering, but also an ethical approach to contemporary moral crises with seemingly impossible solutions, such as looming environmental catastrophe. --Kelly Oliver, Vanderbilt University