Rethinking the Environmental Virtue of Ecological Justice from the Interdependencies of Non-Human Capabilities and Synergetic Flourishing
Moyano, Cristian (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Filosofia)

Date:	2023
Abstract:	The capabilities approach has largely addressed individual capabilities via a liberal framework common in its literature. However, a growing number of scholars concerned with sustainable human development are analyzing theories and methodologies that are both suitable for human flourishing and display a respect for nature. This paper explores several forms of considering the value of non-animal and non-individual natural entities, such as ecosystems. I first expose some instrumental reasons why we may care about the flourishing of ecosystems and then other reasons based on the assumption that they have integrity and their own capabilities and, therefore, deserve moral consideration. I argue that despite the possible moral conflicts that may emerge between human and ecosystemic autonomy, they could be avoided by adopting an ecological justice virtue. I present this ecological justice characterized by some contributions of decolonial thought and environmental virtue ethics. I propose that if the capabilities approach was not anchored only in an individualistic ontology, it could better assume a multi-level axiology from which the inherent and instrumental value of ecosystems would be interconnected. And, to this end, I find the concept of synergetic flourishing helpful to accept an interdependent and non-human-centered recognition of the capabilities.
Grants:	Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación PID2019-105422GB-100
Note:	This research was supported by the project "Ética del Rewilding en el Antropoceno: Comprendiendo los Escollos de Regenerar Éticamente lo Salvaje (ERA-CERES)", with reference PZ618328/D043600, funded by Fundación BBVA; and supported by the project "La solidaridad en bioética (SOLBIO)" with reference PID2019-105422GB-100, funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICINN).
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Ecological justice ; Ecosystemcapabilities ; Integrity ; Synergetic flourishing ; Interdependence ; Environmental virtue ethics ; Capabilities approach ; Decolonial thought ; Non-humans
Published in:	Philosophies, Vol. 8 Núm. 6 (december 2023) , p. 103, ISSN 2409-9287

DOI: 10.3390/philosophies8060103

15 p, 313.3 KB

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