Slippery Slope Arguments as Precautionary Arguments: A New Way of Understanding the Concern about Geoengineering Research

[ayesha iqbal]

Author

JAMES ANDOW 

7 January 2023

doi: 10.3197/096327123X16702350862737

ABSTRACT

It has been argued that geoengineering research should not be pursued because of a slippery slope from research to problematic deployment. These arguments have been thought weak or defective on the basis of interpretations that treat the arguments as relying on dubious premises. The paper urges a new interpretation of these arguments as precautionary arguments, i.e. as relying on a precautionary principle. This interpretation helps us better appreciate the potential normative force of the worries, their potential policy relevance, and the kind of evidence required by slippery slope arguments. Understood as precautionary arguments, it is clear that slippery slope arguments against geoengineering capture concerns that are worth taking seriously.

KEYWORDS:

Geoengineering, slippery slope argument, precautionary principle, ethics, climate change

[Geoengineering News]

Poster's note: Reviewer 2 did a podcast on the paper, "Slippery Slope Arguments as Precautionary Arguments: A New Way of Understanding the Concern about Geoengineering Research."
Title of podcast: Slippery slope meets precautionary principle - AndowReviewer 2 does geoengineering

Some links to listen to the podcast: 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/slippery-slope-meets-precautionary-principle-andow/id1529459393?i=1000602473351

https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy8zMjkzZDIzMC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw/episode/Zjk3ZGZkMjAtYjM3MS00ZWE3LWE5NTktOTA5MTNlZDE0NWRk?ep=14

https://open.spotify.com/show/2KSB1lU18qh5gYIRDYPJMb

Description:  

"How can we merge the concepts of slippery slopes and the precautionary principle? James Andow explains how precautionary evaluation of risks can help us evaluate both the risks of ending up on a slippery slope to deployment, and the risks resulting from deployment. James argues that we need to concern ourselves with risks, not just inevitabilities, when considering slippery slopes. For additional reading discussed, see books "Innate" and "the WEIRDest people in the world". Paper: "Slippery Slope Arguments as Precautionary Arguments: A New Way of Understanding the Concern about Geoengineering Research" (https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/whp/ev/pre-prints/content-whp_ev_3729)"

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