Different moral focal points, different care for the environment
Type
conference paper
Date Issued
2006-12-15
Author(s)
Bening, Catharina-Rebecca
Abstract (De)
Morality is not a popular issue with modern economics which mostly adhere to the paradigm of rational choice. Cognitive science, in contrast, suggest that moral judgement is first of all influenced by passion - as Hume already postulated - and it is only after this kind of intuition that reasoning comes into play. Nevertheless, the assumption of rationality need not to be violated as this behavior shortens the individual process of judgement and tends to generate coherent appraisal within a group because morality is a universal but socially shaped thing. This in turn means that moral judgements can vary between cultures. Environmental studies should be interested in these differences for two reasons: Firstly, current environmental problems seek for multilateral solutions and a solid understanding of the actors' moral background is therefore crucial in the conduct of negotiations. Secondly, although the link between stated attitudes and decision making may be weak, the correlation between these two is certainly positive. This study likes to compare moral judgements on environmental issues in different cultures; more precisely in two high schools in mainly catholic, rural areas in Germany and the Midwest of the U.S.A. In line with observed outcomes, differences in moral judgements exist when environmental actions are evaluated against possible influences on economic outcome.
Language
German
HSG Classification
not classified
Refereed
Yes
Event Title
9th Biennial Conference of the International Society for Ecological Economics (ISEE)
Event Location
New Delhi
Event Date
15.-19.12.2006
Subject(s)
Division(s)
Eprints ID
34863