
- 168 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
Liberalism and the Challenge of Climate Change
About this book
In this book Christopher Shaw analyses how liberalism has shaped our understanding of climate change and how liberalism is legitimated in the face of a crisis for which liberalism has no answers.
The language and symbolism we use to make sense of climate change arose in the post-World War II liberal institutions of the West. This language and symbolism, in neutralising the philosophical and ideological challenge climate change poses to the legitimacy of free market liberalism, has also closed off the possibility of imagining a different kind of future for humanity. The book is structured around a repurposing of the 'guardrail' concept, commonly used in climate science narratives to communicate the boundary between safe and dangerous climate change. Five discursive 'guardrails' are identified, which define a boundary between safe and dangerous ideas about how to respond to climate change. The theoretical treatment of these issues is complemented with data from interviews with opinion-formers, decision-makers and campaigners, exploring what models of human nature and political possibilities guide their approach to the politics of climate change governance.
This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of climate change, liberal politics, environmental communication and environmental politics and philosophy, in general.
Frequently asked questions
- Essential is ideal for learners and professionals who enjoy exploring a wide range of subjects. Access the Essential Library with 800,000+ trusted titles and best-sellers across business, personal growth, and the humanities. Includes unlimited reading time and Standard Read Aloud voice.
- Complete: Perfect for advanced learners and researchers needing full, unrestricted access. Unlock 1.4M+ books across hundreds of subjects, including academic and specialized titles. The Complete Plan also includes advanced features like Premium Read Aloud and Research Assistant.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app.
Table of contents
- Cover
- Endorsement Page
- Half Title
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Dedication
- Table of Contents
- Acknowledgements
- Preface
- Introduction
- 1 The struggles of climate liberalism
- 2 Guardrail 1: Climate change is not a challenge to individualism
- 3 Guardrail 2: The liberal construction of climate change is universally true
- 4 Guardrail 3: Climate change is not an historical phenomenon
- 5 Guardrail 4: We have the technologies to solve climate change
- 6 Guardrail 5: New stories will save us
- 7 Maybe tomorrow
- 8 Conclusion: what future?
- Index