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Derrida and Inheritance in Environmental Ethics

The Half-Lives of Responsibility

  • Book
  • © 2024

Overview

Authors:
  1. Michael Peterson

    1. Department of Arts, Languages, and Philosophy, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, USA

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  • Studies intergenerational ethics and the ethics of nuclear waste disposal from a Derridian perspective
  • Targets an interdisciplinary audience across philosophy and nuclear & alternative energy policy
  • Critiques common policy solutions to the problem of nuclear waste disposal

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Table of contents (6 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xii
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  2. Introduction

    • Michael Peterson
    Pages 1-20

  3. Acting Before Future Generations

    • Michael Peterson
    Pages 21-36

  4. Nuclear Waste and the Site of Intergenerational Responsibility

    • Michael Peterson
    Pages 37-77

  5. Derrida: Iterability and Biodegradability

    • Michael Peterson
    Pages 79-108

  6. Turning Toward Irradiated Futures

    • Michael Peterson
    Pages 109-146

  7. Conclusion

    • Michael Peterson
    Pages 147-164

  8. Back Matter

    Pages 165-175
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Keywords

About this book

This book argues for the necessity of a re-evaluation of our thinking about responsibly relating to future generations in the context of environmental philosophy. Using long-term nuclear waste disposal as its paradigmatic case, this book makes the case that the predominant mode of thinking the future in terms of continuity and repetition of the present requires a critique informed by French philosopher Jacques Derrida in order to think responsibility adequately. The book begins by surveying contemporary accounts of intergenerational responsibility before outlining the specifics of nuclear waste disposal policy. With these stakes established, the contributions of Jacques Derrida to future-oriented ethics are introduced. These include discussions of communication across contexts, the relationship between inheritance and responsibility, and the political imperatives that result from this critique. This book concludes by arguing for an intergenerational environmental policy that rejectspolicy and infrastructural projects that depend on the present reproducing itself indefinitely.

Authors and Affiliations

  • Department of Arts, Languages, and Philosophy, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, USA

    Michael Peterson

About the author

Michael Peterson is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the Missouri University of Science and Technology. His work has appeared in Eco-Deconstruction: Derrida and Environmental Philosophy (Fordham 2018) and Toxic Timescapes: Examining Toxicity across Time and Space (Ohio University Press 2023).

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Derrida and Inheritance in Environmental Ethics

  • Book Subtitle: The Half-Lives of Responsibility

  • Authors: Michael Peterson

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-52143-0

  • Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Cham

  • eBook Packages: Religion and Philosophy, Philosophy and Religion (R0)

  • Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2024

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-031-52142-3Published: 14 February 2024

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-3-031-52145-4Due: 16 March 2024

  • eBook ISBN: 978-3-031-52143-0Published: 13 February 2024

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XII, 175

  • Number of Illustrations: 2 b/w illustrations

  • Topics: Continental Philosophy, Ethics, Energy Policy, Economics and Management

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