Green republicanism: a viable alternative
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2019-06-24
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en
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Abstract
In this thesis, green republicanism’s claim of being a green alternative to liberal
democracy, of being an alternative that is better suited to deal with the ecological crisis
while retaining human freedom and flourishing, is evaluated. Green republicanism is a
relatively young strand of thought, that seeks to realize ecological values through the
republican ideal of virtuous citizenship. Since the goal of republicans is to maintain the
republic over time in a world that threatens it, republican thought is argued to intersect
with values that are advanced in green political theory, such as sustainability and
‘green’ citizenship. By advancing a rather thick conception of human flourishing and
sustainability, however, green republicanism seems to either expect that citizens will
end up embracing these values as in some teleological sense, or requires that these
conceptions should be the substance of politics. This seems to violate the neo-Roman
republican ideal of non-domination, because, for republicans, the common good should
be formulated by citizens in an inclusive process of public deliberation. The green
republican approach to achieving sustainability, it can be argued, risks removing
contingency from politics. Likewise, the green republican emphasis on place and
leadership appears to be counterproductive for effectively dealing with the ecological
crisis. This thesis argues that sustainability surely is one of the most important values
and common goods of our time, but that the contents of it should be decided upon by
the people. We may, however, agree to adopt a minimal, universal and scientifically
backed conception of sustainability that comes to guide politics and society in a green
republican fashion. Starting from this minimal conception of sustainability, the green
republican strand of thought may inspire us to enter a necessary debate: that on what
we want our common sustainable future to look like.
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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen