Table of Contents
Introduction
Climate change or global warming is one of the greatest challenges that mankind has ever faced. On the major reason for climate change is the man-made reason which is related to a large amount of carbon dioxide emitted by a human to satisfy the needs for human production and living. To solve the problem, it is needed for the establishment of ethics among the international community to lay a common moral foundation for countries to share responsibilities to break the existed political impasses.
Immanuel Kant in his Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysic of Morals stresses people’s moral duties as well as the Categorical Imperative, which is known as his deontological ethics. The paper argues that Kant’s deontological ethics can be applied to climate change issue from the perspective of political leadership.
Ethical Issue
On the climate change issue, the conflict between countries is a problem of moral responsibility. The ignorance of the duty is a major aspect for the failure of the negotiation between countries in dealing with climate change. To explain, the ignorance of moral duty is caused by the ignorance of the connection between fossil fuel combustion and the bad result as well as the stress on causal responsibility. On the one hand, it is believed that the action of carbon emission can be with no harmful intention for production. Therefore, it is morally permissible for a state to not to take the responsibility to devote efforts for emission reduction.
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On the other hand, there is the argument that the developed countries should take the responsibilities for the fossil fuel combustion had produced and also the objection which states that the developing countries should take more responsibility for their emission they are making. That is, states try to link the effects with causes of climate change to avoid their duty. In addition, there is also the negligence of responsibility relative to national interests which causes the abundance of moral principle. Also, the duty of ensuring that future generations’ survival was ignored.
Ethical Theories
The idea of the Moral Duty
Kant proposes that moral action is based on people’s accordance with a certain principle rather than the good consequence. The intentions of human’s moral actions according to Kant, is what that truly matters to determine whether the actions are morally permissible. As Kant proposed, “Nothing can possibly be conceived in the world…, without qualification, except a good will” (1st Sect.)
That is, the good will itself speaks for the morality of an act. Kant first asks people to do things with a good intention and then further distinguishes the good intention with a good result. He asks people to not to avoid the duty to conduct good using the possible bad result as an excuse. On the issue of climate change, Kant would require each nation to participate in energy saving and emission reduction.
The Categorical Imperative
The Categorical Imperative is the idea that people should always insist on an absolute, permanent maxim. Kant proposes the assumption that maxims are principles of choice. However, it is needed for an absolute principle for everyone to guide moral conducts and the principle is the duty. Kant asks act only according to the maxim which can be used as a universal law. As far as the objective principle is concerned, its command, though mandatory, is also rational.
In addition, Kant argues that if the action has no end in it, it arises merely from the necessity of pure objectivity. That is, the categorical imperative asks people to respect humanity and never treat others as means but always as an end. On climate change, Kant would ask the political leaders to consider others’ interests to propose the method which can bring mutual benefits as well as enhance the corporation between nations.
Literature Discussion
Kantian ethics can be related to the sustainable development indicators for climate change. According to Mads Greaker, et al., on dealing with climate change, Kant is to against state-centered utilitarianism. That is to say that a climate change indicator based on cost-efficient fulfillment of international obligations which approve by utilitarianism can be objected by Kant (Mads Greaker et al. 6). Kantian approach instead, asks the world leaders to consist on principle to take the responsibility. Accordingly, world political leaders should participate in the international organizations to allocate GHG-emission budget.
Casey Rentmeester’s proposes the idea that taking action to reduce GHG-emission is essential. Rentmeester applies Kant’s idea on world citizenship as well as a League of Nations to stress the importance for both the citizens and political leaders to work on GHG emission. The idea of the League of Nations stresses the importance of international institutes in the political cooperation between nations.
The Relevant Implications
According to Kant’s idea of duty, it is needless for states to stress the causal responsibility and it is important for the political leaders to consider the welfare of the all the citizens as well as next generations to work on energy conservation and emission reduction. In this sense, the Kantian approach to climate change asks for all the countries regardless of their contribution to take the responsibility.
In addition, it is needed for the world political leaders to work together to deal with climate changes with the good intention to consider the sustainable development of the mankind the rather than considering merely the national interests. In a word, Kantian approach to moral leadership on the climate change issue concerns the leaders, and they represent nations’ responsibility, intention, and dignity as well as respect for others.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Kant’s deontological ethics can be applied to the climate change issue. In particular, Kant’s idea of good in action will as well as the categorical imperative state the importance for states to concern the development of the human beings including the future generations and to enhance the cooperation between nations. In general, Kant’s deontological ethics focuses on the common responsibility to establish moral leadership in dealing with climate change.
Works Cited
- Greaker, Mads., et al. “A Kantian Approach to Sustainable Development Indicators for Climate Change.” Discussion Papers, no. 718, 2012, pp. 1-32.
- Kant, Immanuel. Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysic of Morals. Translated by Thomas Kingsmill Abbott, Liberal Arts Press, 1949.
- Rentmeester, Casey. “A Kantian Look at Climate Change.” Essays in Philosophy, vol.11, no. 1, 2010, pp. 76-86.
