Reconstructing Precaution, Deconstructing Misconceptions
Datos Bibliográficos
| ID | 12159585 |
|---|---|
| Autores | Alessandra Arcuri (0000-0002-4128-2070, autor de correspondencia) |
| Año | 2007 |
| Volumen | 21 |
| Número | 3 |
| Páginas | 359-379 |
| Fecha de publicación | 2007-01-01 |
| Open Access | Sí |
| Tipo | ARTICLE |
| Revista | Ethics & International Affairs (JOURNAL) |
| Identificadores de la revista | ISSN: 0892-6794 • E-ISSN: 1747-7093 |
| Editorial | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1111/j.1747-7093.2007.00104.x |
| OpenAlex | W2161792679 |
| Idioma | EN |
| Citas recibidas | 5 |
The precautionary principle, widely endorsed at the national and international level, continues to be at the center of a heated debate. Some authors claim that the principle is unscientific; others argue that the principle is paralyzing and gives decision-makers no direction. Confusion and misconceptions are generated by the multiplicity of definitions and interpretations of the precautionary principle. This essay contributes to the debate on the precautionary principle in two ways: (1) it clarifies what a mild formulation of the principle entails, and (2) it identifies a number of misconceptions underlying some of the main criticisms of the principle. A reasonable formulation of the precautionary principle requires both substantive and procedural elements: the substantive element suggests that in circumstances where uncertainties and risks of irreversible harms are present, decisions should err on the side of environmental preservation; the procedural element suggests that the principle should favour decision-making processes that are iterative and informative over time and that integrate experts' assessments of the risks to be governed and people's preferences and values. Against this background, five misconceptions underlying the main criticisms of the precautionary principle are identified and deconstructed. The analysis of the misconceptions sheds further light on the fact that following the principle, processes of learning are stimulated, and accordingly, technology is not halted; to the contrary, the application of the principle leads to a better understanding of technological developments and their effects
Confusion · Economics · Element (criminal law · Epistemology · Law and economics · Political science · Positive economics · Precautionary principle · Environmental and Social Impact Assessments · International Environmental Law and Policies · Law · Philosophy · Psychology · Risk Perception and Management
| Citas por año | 0,33 |
|---|---|
| Intervalo de citas | 2011 - 2023 (13) |
| Altamente citado | No |