Abstract

What is the relationship between liberalism and environmentalism? At first glance, the answer may appear obvious since most environmentalists fall on the "liberal" end of the political spectrum. A closer look, however, reveals a tension since environmentalism requires changes in behavior and restrictions on choice that seem to impinge upon individual rights. Does this mean that environmentalists cannot consistently be liberals? Not necessarily, but it does indicate the need for a closer analysis of the relationship between these two ascendant components of contemporary political thought. In this project, I attempt to provide such an analysis in order to determine whether an environmentally sound liberalism is possible. I focus on two questions: Are liberalism and environmentalism incompatible? How would a green liberalism be different from other liberal theory? ;Chapter One focuses on defining liberalism and environmentalism. Environmentalism is often seen as a view of the good and thus a commitment to neutrality is claimed to be incompatible with environmentalism. In Chapter Two, I look at the issue of neutrality, arguing that while an extension of the harm principle allows for strong environmental regulations, the greenest liberalism will be perfectionist. Chapter Three explores liberalism's individualism and how green liberalism can value collective goods. Chapter Four focuses on economics tackling the issues of growth, economic liberties, and property rights. ;Chapter Five signals a switch from responding to problems to exploring possibilities for grounding environmental protection within the liberal tradition. I begin with an investigation of environmental rights considering both animal rights and human rights to a safe environment. Chapter Six looks to the future in asking whether liberalism includes duties to future generations. I begin by critiquing the idea of rights of future people before turning to Rawls's arguments for his 'savings principle.' In Chapter Seven, I focus on Ronald Dworkin's egalitarian liberalism to show how it might be possible to "green" a prominent liberal who has not specifically written about environmental concerns. Conclusions and final objections are brought together in Chapter Eight, where I sum up the prospects for green liberalism