Using arguments that parallel those of Blaise Pascal and William James, Haller offers prudential reasons for caution that should convince those not already persuaded by ethical arguments. While models of global systems can reveal only possible, not probable, futures, the catastrophic threats posed by such things as global warming, ozone depletion, or population increase represent what James would call "live options": that is, they present us with a plausible possibility that forces us to make momentous decisions. Haller concludes that we cannot afford to risk catastrophe, despite the high costs this decision involves.
- ISBN10 0773524371
- ISBN13 9780773524378
- Publish Date 1 October 2002 (first published 1 January 2002)
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country CA
- Imprint McGill-Queen's University Press
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 160
- Language English