Envisioning a Just Future with Green-Tinted Königsbergian Lenses

Climate change is an issue with scientific, technological, and normative dimensions. Philosophers in particular have been very interested in questions of environmental justice surrounding proposed technological and scientific solutions, as well as regarding climate inaction. At the same time, Kant’s philosophy has unfortunately remained out of the picture in many of these discussions. In this paper, I hope to show that this is an oversight, and that Kant’s practical philosophy can be of use for rethinking justice in the age of climate change. I argue for an interpretation of Kant on the egalitarian side, meant to broach current topics in environmental justice. It is my aim to show that Kantian philosophy can be an asset for pressing challenges, including environmental racism and unfairness with regard to geoengineering solutions and treatment of the global South. This paper proceeds in three steps. First, I consider various interpretations of Kant’s account of welfare and the role of the state, including libertarian, liberal, and socialist readings. Then, I attempt a reconstruction of this account consistent with the general aims of Kant’s political philosophy. Though debates between socialist and libertarian interpretations (and conflicts between fairness and equality) in Kant are interesting, my ultimate goal is to see whether the same consistent, Kantian mode of reasoning can apply to present social problems we face. Current issues surrounding environmental justice makes these debates less cerebral, and press us to reconsider the value of Kant’s philosophy and its legacy for a sustainable, fair future. The specific problems I consider in this capacity include environmental racism in a domestic context, and climate justice in an international context. Contrary to more libertarian views of Kant, on my reading we find Kant’s philosophy to be of use to us today with regard to the environment, despite Kant’s anthropocentrism and apparent conservatism.