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The Ecology of Fear and Climate Change: A Pragmatist Point of View

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  • Jerome Ballet
  • Damien Bazin
  • Emmanuel Petit

Abstract

The ecology of fear has become a common rhetoric in efforts to support climate mitigation. The thesis of the collapse is an extreme version, asserting the inevitable collapse of the world. Fear, then, becomes the ultimate emotion for spurring action. In this article, drawing on the work of the pragmatist John Dewey, we show that fear is an ambiguous emotion. Dewey stressed the quality of an emotion. Following his reasoning, this article draws a distinction between intense and moderate fear. Intense fear annihilates action, while moderate fear fulfils the conditions for an emotion of quality (in the Deweyan sense), which enables action. For this reason, the thesis of the collapse must be rejected, while an ecology of fear, drawing on moderate fear, may be maintained.

Suggested Citation

  • Jerome Ballet & Damien Bazin & Emmanuel Petit, 2023. "The Ecology of Fear and Climate Change: A Pragmatist Point of View," Environmental Values, , vol. 32(1), pages 5-24, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:envval:v:32:y:2023:i:1:p:5-24
    DOI: 10.3197/096327122X16452897197711
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Nicholas Smith & Anthony Leiserowitz, 2014. "The Role of Emotion in Global Warming Policy Support and Opposition," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 34(5), pages 937-948, May.
    2. Teresa Myers & Matthew Nisbet & Edward Maibach & Anthony Leiserowitz, 2012. "A public health frame arouses hopeful emotions about climate change," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 113(3), pages 1105-1112, August.
    3. Lauren Feldman & P. Sol Hart, 2018. "Is There Any Hope? How Climate Change News Imagery and Text Influence Audience Emotions and Support for Climate Mitigation Policies," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 38(3), pages 585-602, March.
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