For fans of the New York Times column “The Ethicist“, Streetfilms has produced a video of an interview with its author, Randy Cohen, in which he makes a firm case for the immorality of urban cars and the ethical imperative to use alternative transportation.
I like how Cohen roots this criticism in a simple, traditional maxim: it does harm to others. In my philosophy studies, I’ve come across many radical approaches to environmental ethics (from deep ecology to eco-anarchism and beyond), and I’m somewhat sympathetic to them. However, I think the strongest case for environmental ethics lies in a simple understanding of ecological harm to others being just as much a violation of liberalism as other traditional harms.
While this approach is less novel and intellectually dazzling then formulating a whole new approach to the world, I think it’s much more likely to attract a consensus. I guess there’s a reason they call him The Ethicist.
2 Comments for Transportation Ethics
Ben | November 27, 2007 at 5:04 pm
Milan | December 14, 2007 at 9:51 am
You are right in asserting that the “do no harm to others” argument is an intuitive and convincing ethical position. What people don’t generally realise is the extent to which car use does harm others, though that may be changing as awareness of climate change increases.
That is fantastic.