Climate Change and Asian Philosophy: A Dialogue in Environmental Ethics

Conference:

"Climate Change and Asian Philosophy: A Dialogue in Environmental Ethics"

October 4-5, 2019

University of Bergen, Norway

Confirmed speakers:

Stephen Gardiner (University of Washington)

Catriona McKinnon (University of Reading)

Elizabeth Cripps (via video conference) (University of Edinburgh)

David E. Cooper (Durham University)

Simon James (Durham University)

In recent years, climate ethics has burgeoned into a dynamic philosophical subfield that aims to address some of the most perplexing ethical challenges presented by climate change. At the same time, there's been a growth in philosophical interest in the connection between Asian philosophy -- particularly Buddhist ethics -- and environmental ethics generally. However, little work has been done regarding what non-Western philosophy might have to contribute to our understanding of the ethics of climate change. How can non-Western ethical and ontological systems inform issues such as historical responsibility, individual responsibility, intergenerational ethics, and the non-identity problem?

This conference will bring together experts in the fields of climate ethics, Buddhist ethics, and environmental philosophy in an effort to foster dialogue between non-Western philosophical traditions and contemporary climate ethics. This dialogue promises to offer valuable ethical resources for addressing the global problem of anthropogenic climate change.