The Politics of Certainty: The Precautionary Principle, Inductive Risk and Procedural Fairness
Accepted version
Peer-reviewed
Repository URI
Repository DOI
Change log
Authors
John, Stephen https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1062-0188
Abstract
This paper re-interprets the precautionary principle as a “social epistemic rule”. First, it argues that sometimes policy-makers should act on claims which have not been scientifically established. Second, it argues that, given how scientists ought to solve “inductive risk” problems, such guidance is required not only under actual conditions, but under any plausible conditions. Third, it suggests that procedural fairness may provide policy-makers with reasons to be very reluctant to act on claims which are not scientifically established. The restriction of precautionary reasoning to contexts of significant environmental or public health disaster may respond to this problem.
Description
Keywords
44 Human Society, 50 Philosophy and Religious Studies, 5002 History and Philosophy Of Specific Fields, 5003 Philosophy, 4408 Political Science
Journal Title
Ethics, Policy & Environment
Conference Name
Journal ISSN
2155-0085
2155-0093
2155-0093
Volume Title
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Publisher DOI
Rights
All rights reserved
Sponsorship
Independent Social Research Foundation (ISRF) (unknown)