Climate Protection as Ethical Challenge. The Climate Protection Issue in the Encyclical Laudato Si’ Cover Image

Ochrona klimatu jako obowiązek etyczny. Kwestia klimatyczna w encyklice Laudato si’
Climate Protection as Ethical Challenge. The Climate Protection Issue in the Encyclical Laudato Si’

Author(s): Zbigniew M. Karaczun
Subject(s): Ethics / Practical Philosophy
Published by: Wydawnictwo Naukowe Uniwersytetu Kardynała Stefana Wyszyńskiego w Warszawie
Keywords: Encyclical Laudato Si’; climate change; climate protection; ethics

Summary/Abstract: Halting of the anthropogenic climate change is one of the most important challenges faced by the current generation. This issue is one of the topics raised in Pope Francis’ encyclical, Laudato Si’. Based on credible scientific studies showing that man is responsible for the observed changes, the Pope indicates the causes behind the destruction of the climate, points to the scale of its possible consequences and calls for a more active climate policy. However, Laudato Si’ focuses on the ethical and moral factors, rather than the present technical attempts at mitigating the climate change. This aim of this paper is to analyse the ways in which the encyclical calls for climate protection and more active climate policy. It also focuses on analysing the three main challenges which the Pope formulated in this respect, namely, the need to trust in science, the challenge to solidarity and a call for a more proactive decision-making process involving more courage and a greater sense of responsibility.

  • Issue Year: 15/2017
  • Issue No: 1
  • Page Range: 27-35
  • Page Count: 9
  • Language: Polish