Im Rahmen unseres Philosophischen Kolloquiums laden wir herzlich ein zu einem Vortrag von 

Alice Pinheiro Walla (Bayreuth): Kant’s Legal Theory and Climate Change. A Territorial Rights Approach

Zum Vortrag:

Kant’s ethical theory is attractive for justifying duties to curb the effects of climate change. The very idea of a categorical imperative test evokes the idea of sustainable maxims of action. However, I argue that appealing to Kant’s ethical theory and thus to individual morality is incompatible with the external enforcement required by climate change policies. In contrast, Kant’s legal philosophy can account for collective and enforceable environmental duties. But the challenge is not only the creation and enforcement of transnational climate change agreements. I argue that at a deeper level, the problem of climate change is the result of our reductive ontology of land and territory. This is why we are not likely to reach a satisfactory global solution to the problem of climate change. Respecting the territorial rights of indigenous peoples and local groups who interact with their land with deep environmental knowledge, genuine emotional attachment and in a sustainable way, is a necessary first step towards a much needed change of attitude towards the Earth.

Zur Person:

Prof. Dr. Alice Pinheiro Walla is Junior Professor of Political Philosophy (Global Justice) at the Department of Philosophy, University of Bayreuth, Germany. Her research combines Kant scholarship with the analytic tradition in philosophy. Her aim is to understand the structure of rights and duties and provide a rigorous foundation for them. She also believes that philosophy can make a significant contribution to society and help us understand and address the political and social challenges of our time.