Is There a Best Ethic of Sustainable Development?

Paul T. Durbin

Is There a Best Ethic of Sustainable Development?

Paul T. Durbin

Emeritus Professor, Philosophy Department and Center for Energy and Environmental Policy, University of Delaware (United States)

Abstract

Over the past couple of decades, the literature on development and the environment has been dominated by a new slogan, “sustainable development.” Sustainability has many interpretations (see Cuello and Durbin, 1995), and by now there must be hundreds of definitions of sustainability or sustainable development. The author of each one surely believes that his or hers is the best, but not many authors have attempted to survey all the definitions and then propose his as the best of the best. That is exactly what Cesar Cuello Nieto has done. Focusing here on his work will allow me to draw some social responsibility conclusions about environmental ethics and the environmental movement generally.

Keywords:

sustainable development, ethics

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