Year of Award

2016

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

Master of Arts (MA)

Degree Name

Philosophy

Department or School/College

Department of Philosophy

Committee Chair

Christopher Preston

Commitee Members

Albert Borgmann, Dane Scott

Keywords

Climate Change, Distributive Justice, Technology Transfer, Energy Innovation, Capabilities

Subject Categories

Ethics and Political Philosophy

Abstract

The goal of this paper is to examine climate change through the lens of distributive justice. In doing so, it will attempt to answer how three important questions of distributive justice apply to climate change policy. These questions, what is the object of distribution, how should this object be distributed, and among whom should this distribution take place, will be the topics of the topics of the first, second, and third sections respectively. Through this examination, it is the hope of this paper that certain policy recommendations and climate change strategies can be developed which adequately take into account both the goods that contribute to the well-being or capabilities of people, as well as the negative impacts climate change has on them. It will be argued that when we view climate change in this way, it can be seen as a capability depriving force that limits development, and that climate change policies that focus on technology transfer and energy innovation are most equipped to deal with these problems.

Share

COinS
 

© Copyright 2016 Jason F. Moeller