Applying Reflective Equilibrium. Towards the Justification of a Precautionary Principle

Acknowledgements
Contents
1 Introduction
	1.1 Reflective Equilibrium: Main Ideas and Previous Applications
		1.1.1 Main Ideas of Reflective Equilibrium
		1.1.2 Applications of Reflective Equilibrium
		1.1.3 Desiderata for a Case Study
	1.2 Precautionary Principles as a Test Case for Applying Reflective Equilibrium
	1.3 Overview of this Book
	References
2 Theoretical Foundations of Reflective Equilibrium
	2.1 The Idea of Reflective Equilibrium
	2.2 Agreement between Commitments and System
		2.2.1 Commitments
		2.2.2 System
		2.2.3 Agreement between System and Commitments
	2.3 Respecting Input Commitments and the Criterion of Independent Credibility
		2.3.1 Independent Credibility
		2.3.2 Not Abandoning the Subject
	2.4 Theoretical Virtues
	2.5 Background Elements and Social Dimensions
		2.5.1 Background Theories, Background Information, and Background Assumptions
		2.5.2 Going Public
	2.6 Summing Up: Criteria of Reflective Equilibrium
	References
3 Specifying the Method of Reflective Equilibrium: A Methodological Framework
	3.1 The Starting Position of a Reflective Equilibrium Process
		3.1.1 Identifying Initial Commitments
		3.1.2 Selection of Theoretical Virtues
		3.1.3 Description of the Background
		3.1.4 Selection of Candidate Systems
	3.2 The Process of Adjustments
		3.2.1 Steps of the Equilibration Process
		3.2.2 Defining and Assessing the RE Criteria
			3.2.2.1 Measuring Agreement
			3.2.2.2 Measuring Support from the Background
			3.2.2.3 Measuring Theoretical Virtues
			3.2.2.4 Measuring Respect for Input Commitments and Independent Credibility
		3.2.3 Handling Trade-offs and Path-Dependency
	3.3 Preliminary Conclusion of the Process and Evaluation of the Resulting Position
	3.4 Recapitulation: A Methodology of Reflective Equilibrium
	References
4 Precautionary Principles
	4.1 The Idea of Precaution and Precautionary Principles
	4.2 Interpretations of Precautionary Principles
		4.2.1 Action-Guiding Interpretations
			4.2.1.1 Decision Rules
			4.2.1.2 Context-Sensitive Principles
		4.2.2 Epistemic Interpretations
			4.2.2.1 Standards of Evidence
			4.2.2.2 Type I and Type II Errors
			4.2.2.3 Precautionary Defaults
		4.2.3 Procedural Interpretations
			4.2.3.1 Argumentative, or ``Meta'' PPs
			4.2.3.2 Transformative Decision Rules
			4.2.3.3 Reversing the Burden of Proof
			4.2.3.4 Procedures for Determining Precautionary Measures
		4.2.4 Integrated Interpretations
			4.2.4.1 Particular Principles for Specific Contexts
			4.2.4.2 An Adjustable Principle with Procedural Instructions
	4.3 Justifications for Precautionary Principles
		4.3.1 Practical Rationality
			4.3.1.1 Ordinary Risk Management
			4.3.1.2 PPs in the Framework of Ordinary Risk Management
			4.3.1.3 Reforming Ordinary Risk Management
		4.3.2 Moral Justifications for Precaution
			4.3.2.1 Environmental Ethics
			4.3.2.2 Harm-Based Justifications
			4.3.2.3 Justice-Based Justifications
			4.3.2.4 Rights-Based Justifications
			4.3.2.5 Ethics of Risk and Risk Impositions
	4.4 Main Objections and Possible Rejoinders
		4.4.1 PPs Cannot Guide our Decisions
		4.4.2 PPs are Redundant
		4.4.3 PPs are Irrational
	4.5 Recapitulation
	References
5 Justifying a Precautionary Principle with Reflective Equilibrium: Design of a Case Study
	5.1 Objectives and Overview
	5.2 Specifying the Criteria and Steps of Reflective Equilibrium
	5.3 Initial Input Commitments
		5.3.1 An Illustrative Example: Precautionary Principles and Solar Radiation Management
		5.3.2 Examples of Selected Commitments
	5.4 The Background
	5.5 Theoretical Virtues
	5.6 Candidates for the System
	5.7 Recapitulation: Design of the Case Study
	References
6 Case Study, Phase I: Developing a Candidate System
	6.1 Overview: Three Phases of the Case Study
	6.2 Overview: Phase 1
	6.3 Step A1: Assessing Rio and Wingspread as FirstCandidate Systems
		6.3.1 Rio and Wingspread: Account for Commitments
		6.3.2 Rio and Wingspread: Theoretical Virtues
		6.3.3 Formulating Guiding Questions
	6.4 Step B1: Adjusting Commitments by Broadening the Current Set
		6.4.1 The Element of ``Threat''
		6.4.2 The Element of ``Knowledge''
		6.4.3 The Element of ``Precautionary Measures''
		6.4.4 The Broadened Set of Current Commitments, C1
	6.5 Step A2: Explicating ``Precautionary Measures''
		6.5.1 Account for Commitments AboutPrecautionary Measures
		6.5.2 Theoretical Virtues of the Precautionary-Measures Explication
	6.6 Step B2: Adjusting Commitments AboutPrecautionary Measures
		6.6.1 Trying to Increase Account
		6.6.2 Newly Inferred Commitments that Classify Measures as (Not) Precautionary
		6.6.3 Searching for Further Relevant Commitments
		6.6.4 The Adjusted Set of Current Commitments, C2
	6.7 Step A3.1: Formulating the Principle 3 Candidate System
	6.8 Recapitulation Phase 1
		6.8.1 Phase 1: Discussion of Intermediate Results for RE
		6.8.2 Phase 1: Discussion of Intermediate Resultsfor Precaution
	References
7 Case Study, Phase II: Focus on the Process of Adjustments
	7.1 Overview: Phase 2
	7.2 Step A3.2: Comparing Principle 3-System, RCPP, and UUP
		7.2.1 P 3-System, RCPP, and UUP: Accountfor Commitments
		7.2.2 P 3-System, RCPP, and UUP: Theoretical Virtues
		7.2.3 Overall Comparison of P 3, RCPP, and UUP
	7.3 Step B3: Adjusting Commitments to the RCPP
		7.3.1 Trying to Increase Account
		7.3.2 Searching for Further Relevant Commitments
		7.3.3 The Adjusted Set of Current Commitments, C3
	7.4 Step A4: From RCPP to Maximin-PP
		7.4.1 Maximin-PP, TPA, P3, RCPP, and UUP: Account for Current Commitments
		7.4.2 Theoretical Virtues of Maximin-PP, TPA, P3, RCPP, and UUP
		7.4.3 Overall Comparison of Maximin-PP, TPA, P3, RCPP, and UUP
	7.5 Step B4: Adjusting Commitments to the Maximin-PP
		7.5.1 Trying to Increase Account
		7.5.2 Searching for Further Relevant Commitments
		7.5.3 The Adjusted Set of Current Commitments, C4
	7.6 Recapitulation Phase 2
		7.6.1 Phase 2: Discussion of Intermediate Results for RE
		7.6.2 Phase 2: Discussion of Intermediate Results for PPs
	References
8 Case Study, Phase III: Reaching a State of Reflective Equilibrium?
	8.1 Overview: Phase 3
	8.2 Step A5: Developing and Adopting the Rights-Maximin-PP
		8.2.1 Explicating ``Incommensurable'' as ``(Threshold) Lexical Superiority''
		8.2.2 Candidates for a Threshold of Lexical Priority
		8.2.3 Rights-Maximin-PP, Account for Commitments
		8.2.4 Rights-Maximin-PP, Theoretical Virtues
		8.2.5 Adopting the Rights-Maximin-PP
	8.3 Step B5: Adjusting Commitments to the Rights-Maximin-PP
		8.3.1 Trying to Increase Account
		8.3.2 Searching for Further Relevant Commitments
		8.3.3 The Adjusted Set of Current Commitments, C5
	8.4 Step A6: From Rights-Maximin-PP to Rights-TPA
		8.4.1 Rights-Maximin-PP and Rights-TPA: Account
		8.4.2 Rights-Maximin-PP and Rights-TPA: Theoretical Virtues
		8.4.3 Overall Comparison: Rights-Maximin-PP vs. Rights-TPA
	8.5 Step B6: Adjusting Commitments to the Rights-TPA
		8.5.1 Trying to Increase Account
		8.5.2 The Adjusted Set of Current Commitments, C6
	8.6 Step A7 and B7: Reaching Equilibrium?
	8.7 Recapitulation Phase 3
		8.7.1 Results for Reflective Equilibrium
		8.7.2 Results for Precautionary Principles
	References
9 Results and Discussion: Justifying a Precautionary Principle as a Case Study for Reflective Equilibrium
	9.1 Results of the Case Study for Precautionary Principles
	9.2 Results of the Case Study for the Method of Reflective Equilibrium
		9.2.1 Specifying an RE Method
		9.2.2 Results from the Process of Adjustments
	9.3 Discussion: Reflective Equilibrium as a Methodology and Method in Philosophy
	References
A Elements of the Reflective Equilibrium Process
	A.1 Input Commitments
		A.1.1 Initial Commitments
			A.1.1.1 General Commitments About Precaution and Precautionary Principles
			A.1.1.2 Commitments About Toy Examples
			A.1.1.3 Commitments About R&D on Solar Radiation Management (SRM)
		A.1.2 Emerging Commitments
		A.1.3 Emerging commitments on What Counts as ``Precautionary Measures''
	A.2 New Commitments
		A.2.1 Adjusted Commitments
		A.2.2 Newly Inferred Commitments
	A.3 Candidate Systems
		A.3.1 Rio PP and Wingspread PP
		A.3.2 The Principle 3-System (P 3)
		A.3.3 The Rawlsian Core Precautionary Principle (RCPP)
		A.3.4 The Utilitarian Uncertainty Principle (UUP)
		A.3.5 The Maximin-Precautionary Principle
		A.3.6 The Tripartite Precautionary Approach (TPA)
			A.3.6.1 Versions of the TPA
		A.3.7 The Rights-Maximin-PP for Combinations of Uncertainty and Incommensurability
		A.3.8 The Tripartite Precautionary Approach to Threats of Rights Violations
	A.4 Background
		A.4.1 Case Descriptions
	A.5 Schematic Overview of the Process of Adjustments
	References
Index