Catastrophe Ethics

Starred review from February 5, 2024
Rieder (In Pain), an associate research professor at the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics, investigates in this thought-provoking treatise how to live a “morally decent life” amid an accelerating climate crisis. Finding shortcomings with a variety of philosophical frameworks, including religion, nihilism, and Socratic reasoning, Rieder champions an “ethic of conscientiousness” that asks individuals to “live a better, more justifiable life” while giving them “latitude” in how they “participate in the global structures that benefit and harm.” In the book’s most stimulating section, Rieder applies that ethic to such moral quandaries as eating meat, driving gas-powered cars, and having children in a resource-starved world. (He lands somewhere in the middle on the latter question, acknowledging the ills of overpopulation while challenging “Schopenhauer-style” arguments that bringing a child into existence means inherently causing them harm.) Noting that today’s “massive, structural problems” are unprecedented, Rieder wisely avoids settling on any one philosophical system, and instead models the value of “switch our moral cameras over into manual mode” to pick and choose elements from each. It’s an excellent resource for the environmentally conscious weighing their life’s choices. Agent: Jane Von Mehren, Aevitas Creative.

Starred review from January 1, 2024
An informed, careful investigation of the connection between individual choices and large, complex problems. The problem of how to lead a good, unselfish life is timeless, and Rieder, an academic specializing in bioethics and author of In Pain: A Bioethicist's Personal Struggle With Opioids, argues that the question has become even more important in the era of climate change, resource depletion, and other world-changing issues. "What is each of us to do?" he asks as he examines various historical approaches. "How do we live a morally decent life when we can't even get our arms around the problems?" Rieder doesn't have much time for those who apparently hate to see anyone enjoying themselves, and even less for those who simply deny the challenges. Individual actions--such as reducing resource use and recycling--are important, but every action can generate new dilemmas. For example, does driving a Tesla mean supporting the exploitation of African cobalt miners? Must we calculate our environmental footprint on a daily basis? These kinds of inquiries can entirely consume one's energies and lead to a dismal, over-audited life. There is an obligation to do the right thing, but you don't have to be a miserable bully about it. In the closing sections, Rieder proposes some solutions. Do what you can with the resources and skills you have; push for major policy changes where possible; act rather than merely talk; and accept responsibilities small and large. In this multifaceted way, "we rescue our moral agency from the threat of nihilism" and "build a meaningful life." This approach might disappoint readers who wanted a rousing to-the-barricades ending, but upon reflection, it might be the best advice possible. With an open mind and a firm grasp of the issues, Rieder brings the question of living a decent life into the modern era.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

February 15, 2024
This consideration of making moral decisions in our current reality of catastrophic climate change starts out promisingly, with Rieder establishing himself as a regular guy who lives in the suburbs and agonizes over environmentally conscious decisions like what kind of milk to buy. As he explores the multiple puzzle pieces that need to be included in any serious consideration of contemporary ethical behavior, though, his narrative descends into despair (""Our actions will determine the amount of suffering for years to come""). He argues that conventional determinants (religious ethics, moral codes) will be insufficient, citing everyone from Socrates to the Big Lebowski. His narrative presumably runs like the lectures he delivers to his undergraduate bioethics students: relatable anecdotes followed by challenging, open-ended questions and academic theoretical musings. Rieder does not offer any concrete solutions but does encourage new ways of thinking and determining priorities in matters small (eating meat vs. not) and large (procreating vs. adopting). He concludes that individuals must determine personally gratifying ways to mitigate climate change and thus create meaning in their own lives.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.