One Atmosphere, Many Metaphysics: The Philosophies of Geoengineering

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Nov 7, 2024, 7:24:46 AM11/7/24

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https://essopenarchive.org/doi/full/10.22541/essoar.173046676.60091926

Author

Matteo Pavesi

01 November 2024

Cite as: Matteo Pavesi. One Atmosphere, Many Metaphysics: The Philosophies of Geoengineering. ESS Open Archive . November 01, 2024.

DOI: 10.22541/essoar.173046676.60091926/v1

Abstract

Deliberate, large-scale interventions in the Earth’s climate system, collectively known as “geoengineering”, are increasingly being proposed to counteract the worst effects of global warming. Public and scholarly controversies have ensued due to the high risks and high uncertainties that characterise these novel technologies. For all that, geoengineering is currently being evaluated at the highest levels of governance, and a full-scale review by the United Nations is ongoing. To enrich the understanding of geoengineering, the present work reviews the metaphysics behind the main arguments in favour and against geoengineering. Based on the varied conceptions of humans, nature, knowledge, and technical systems, which support their appraisals, proponents and opponents of climate engineering are grouped into four ideal-types: homo naturans, homo faber, homo sapiens, and anthropo-not-seen. In addition to the pro-against geoengineering fissure, a second one is identified: transcendental-instrumental metaphysics.