Publication Details

Abstract

The paper deals with the thesis according to which the environmental responsibility is not to be seen as purely moral, but rather political and legal category. The environmental responsibility is related to environmental security, which is to be taken as a public good. Due to the processes of globalization states and their governments are unable to provide environmental security. These developments destabilize the society and delegitimize the ruling elites or even political regimes as such. Therefore, H. Jonas taking environmental responsibility as ethical category is untenable. The above mention thesis is supported also by the concept of human rights (including not only right to life, but also rights to food, housing and water) which are incorporated in international conventions demanding the implementation of these rights. However, the ever-deeper global environmental crisis leads to striking worsening of the conditions needed for this implementation. Thus, the environmental responsibility becomes one of the fundamental political and juristic issues.