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Books by Sarah Kenehan

This is the second volume of a two-volume serious that aims to help bridge the divide between the... more This is the second volume of a two-volume serious that aims to help bridge the divide between the work of normative theorists and climate action (or inaction). In this volume, authors tackle the strained relationships between principles of justice and climate politics by responding to realworld climate politics and policies, offering proposals and analyses that take concerns of

This is the first volume of a two-volume serious that aims to help bridge the divide between the ... more This is the first volume of a two-volume serious that aims to help bridge the divide between the work of normative theorists and climate action (or inaction). In this volume, contributors reflect on how we should understand the relationship between theorizing about climate justice, the principles of justice that result, and feasibility constraints on climate action. Some explore the

Rowman and Littlefield International (see the up-to-date table of contents in the pdf), 2018

This volume takes up the pressing issues of justice and responsibility that arise at the intersec... more This volume takes up the pressing issues of justice and responsibility that arise at the intersection of food and agricultural systems, environmental degradation, and global climate change. The diverse contributions examine both the various ways that food and agricultural practices contribute to environmental degradation, especially climate change, and the impact that climate change is having and will have on food and agricultural practices. Central questions include: How can the connections between food and agriculture, environmental issues, and climate change best be understood? What are the ethical and political responsibilities of various parties in relation to this nexus of problems? Whose knowledge, concerns, and voices are, and should be, valued in making global climate policy and agricultural and food policy? What are the limitations of existing policies, practices, and theoretical frameworks for understanding and responding to these complex problems?

Articles and Chapters by Sarah Kenehan

Handbook of the Philosophy of Climate Change, 2023

The problem of global climate change is a complex problem for several reasons, not the least of w... more The problem of global climate change is a complex problem for several reasons, not the least of which is its international character. As such, questions of justice between nations arise in consideration of the distribution of the burdens associated with addressing the climate crisis. This chapter outlines some of the most prominent frameworks of global justice in the context of global climate change, and sketches some of the challenges that these proposals face.

Food, Environment, and Climate Change: Justice at the Intersections, 2018

The Ethics of Animal experimentation: Working Towards a Paradigm Change, 2018

Climate Justice: The Relevance of Historical Emissions, 2017

Journal of Social Philosophy, 2014

Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy, 2013

Public Philosophy and Op-Eds by Sarah Kenehan

The Wood Word, 2020

A brief explanation of white privilege.

The Wood Word, 2017

A thank you to Sen. Casey for voting against the appointment of Scott Pruitt as head of the EPA.

Papers by Sarah Kenehan

Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, 2012

In this article, I examine matters concerning justice and climate change in light of current work... more In this article, I examine matters concerning justice and climate change in light of current work in global justice. I briefly discuss some of the most important contemporary work by political philosophers and theorist on global justice and relate it to various considerations regarding justice and climate change. After briefly surveying the international treaty context, I critically discuss several issues, including climate change and human rights, responsibility for historical emissions and the polluter-pays principle, the ability to pay principle, grandfathering entitlements to emit greenhouse gasses, equal per capita emissions entitlements, the right to sustainable development, and responsibility for financing adaptation to climate change. This set of issues does not exhaust the list of considerations of global justice and climate change, but it includes some of the most important of those considerations.

Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition

Animal Experimentation: Working Towards a Paradigm Change, 2019

Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy, 2013

One test of the practical relevance of any theory of international justice will be to apply it to... more One test of the practical relevance of any theory of international justice will be to apply it to the case of global climate change. Several thinkers have already dismissed John Rawls’s Law of Peoples as a possible candidate for helping to manage this problem, arguing, among other things, that it demands too little, too late. This paper revisits and defends the Rawlsian framework as a viable approach to managing climate change. In particular, it argues that the duty to assist (the eighth principle of the Law of Peoples) may actually be an invaluable resource for dealing with the now inevitable consequences of global climate change.

Journal of Social Philosophy, 2014

For Rawls, the problem of historical harms and a corresponding principle of rectification are a m... more For Rawls, the problem of historical harms and a corresponding principle of rectification are a matter of nonideal theory only, and are thus left out of both his domestic and international theories. 1 The few passages in which Rawls refers to historical harms say nothing about how, as a matter of justice, they are to be dealt with. Rather, the focus is on the fact that such harms have occurred and that in a liberal democratic society, or in a society of liberal democratic peoples, these types of wrongs are far less likely to occur. 2 Nonetheless, many critics see this omission as a serious flaw, and the theory is thought to be inapplicable to the real world until, among other things, a conception of rectification that coheres with the rest of the theory is incorporated. 3 Thus, in this essay, I seek to offer the beginnings of a conception of rectification (a broader term encompassing both principles of compensation and reparation) that is capable of dealing with historical harms committed between peoples and that is in accord with the framework that Rawls develops throughout the corpus of his work. 4 To test the workability of my proposed additions, I apply the principle of rectification to the problem of global climate change, a problem that is at least, in part, a problem of dealing with historical and global harms. I conclude that, while Rawls himself does not offer a conception of rectification as part of his theory, his work is compatible with, and offers substance to, a principle aimed at correcting historical harms. 5 1. The Missing Conception of Rectification: Understanding Ideal and Nonideal Theory In the very first chapter of A Theory of Justice, Rawls explains that he will limit his examination to those principles of justice that would effectively regulate a well-ordered society. To this end, he assumes that everyone in this society will act justly (i.e., that all citizens will do their part in upholding just institutions), and in doing so he assumes strict compliance to the principles of justice. 6 This is what Rawls calls ideal theory. For Rawls, an inquiry into ideal theory begins both by probing into what a perfectly or nearly just constitutional regime would be like and by examining whether a society so described could come about and survive given the circumstances of justice. 7 Rawls calls such a society a realistic utopia. 8 Nonideal theory, on the other hand, assumes either (or both at the same time) partial compliance or a case of unfavorable conditions. Thus, an examination of nonideal theory would explore principles that explained how to deal with various bs_bs_banner

Climate Justice and Historical Emissions

This volume takes up the pressing issues of justice and responsibility that arise at the intersec... more This volume takes up the pressing issues of justice and responsibility that arise at the intersection of food and agricultural systems, environmental degradation, and global climate change. The diverse contributions examine both the various ways that food and agricultural practices contribute to environmental degradation, especially climate change, and the impact that climate change is having and will have on food and agricultural practices. Central questions include: How can the connections between food and agriculture, environmental issues, and climate change best be understood? What are the ethical and political responsibilities of various parties in relation to this nexus of problems? Whose knowledge, concerns, and voices are, and should be, valued in making global climate policy and agricultural and food policy? What are the limitations of existing policies, practices, and theoretical frameworks for understanding and responding to these complex problems?

This is the second volume of a two-volume serious that aims to help bridge the divide between the... more This is the second volume of a two-volume serious that aims to help bridge the divide between the work of normative theorists and climate action (or inaction). In this volume, authors tackle the strained relationships between principles of justice and climate politics by responding to realworld climate politics and policies, offering proposals and analyses that take concerns of

This is the first volume of a two-volume serious that aims to help bridge the divide between the ... more This is the first volume of a two-volume serious that aims to help bridge the divide between the work of normative theorists and climate action (or inaction). In this volume, contributors reflect on how we should understand the relationship between theorizing about climate justice, the principles of justice that result, and feasibility constraints on climate action. Some explore the

Rowman and Littlefield International (see the up-to-date table of contents in the pdf), 2018

This volume takes up the pressing issues of justice and responsibility that arise at the intersec... more This volume takes up the pressing issues of justice and responsibility that arise at the intersection of food and agricultural systems, environmental degradation, and global climate change. The diverse contributions examine both the various ways that food and agricultural practices contribute to environmental degradation, especially climate change, and the impact that climate change is having and will have on food and agricultural practices. Central questions include: How can the connections between food and agriculture, environmental issues, and climate change best be understood? What are the ethical and political responsibilities of various parties in relation to this nexus of problems? Whose knowledge, concerns, and voices are, and should be, valued in making global climate policy and agricultural and food policy? What are the limitations of existing policies, practices, and theoretical frameworks for understanding and responding to these complex problems?

Handbook of the Philosophy of Climate Change, 2023

The problem of global climate change is a complex problem for several reasons, not the least of w... more The problem of global climate change is a complex problem for several reasons, not the least of which is its international character. As such, questions of justice between nations arise in consideration of the distribution of the burdens associated with addressing the climate crisis. This chapter outlines some of the most prominent frameworks of global justice in the context of global climate change, and sketches some of the challenges that these proposals face.

Food, Environment, and Climate Change: Justice at the Intersections, 2018

The Ethics of Animal experimentation: Working Towards a Paradigm Change, 2018

Climate Justice: The Relevance of Historical Emissions, 2017

Journal of Social Philosophy, 2014

Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy, 2013

The Wood Word, 2020

A brief explanation of white privilege.

The Wood Word, 2017

A thank you to Sen. Casey for voting against the appointment of Scott Pruitt as head of the EPA.

Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, 2012

In this article, I examine matters concerning justice and climate change in light of current work... more In this article, I examine matters concerning justice and climate change in light of current work in global justice. I briefly discuss some of the most important contemporary work by political philosophers and theorist on global justice and relate it to various considerations regarding justice and climate change. After briefly surveying the international treaty context, I critically discuss several issues, including climate change and human rights, responsibility for historical emissions and the polluter-pays principle, the ability to pay principle, grandfathering entitlements to emit greenhouse gasses, equal per capita emissions entitlements, the right to sustainable development, and responsibility for financing adaptation to climate change. This set of issues does not exhaust the list of considerations of global justice and climate change, but it includes some of the most important of those considerations.

Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition

Animal Experimentation: Working Towards a Paradigm Change, 2019

Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy, 2013

One test of the practical relevance of any theory of international justice will be to apply it to... more One test of the practical relevance of any theory of international justice will be to apply it to the case of global climate change. Several thinkers have already dismissed John Rawls’s Law of Peoples as a possible candidate for helping to manage this problem, arguing, among other things, that it demands too little, too late. This paper revisits and defends the Rawlsian framework as a viable approach to managing climate change. In particular, it argues that the duty to assist (the eighth principle of the Law of Peoples) may actually be an invaluable resource for dealing with the now inevitable consequences of global climate change.

Journal of Social Philosophy, 2014

For Rawls, the problem of historical harms and a corresponding principle of rectification are a m... more For Rawls, the problem of historical harms and a corresponding principle of rectification are a matter of nonideal theory only, and are thus left out of both his domestic and international theories. 1 The few passages in which Rawls refers to historical harms say nothing about how, as a matter of justice, they are to be dealt with. Rather, the focus is on the fact that such harms have occurred and that in a liberal democratic society, or in a society of liberal democratic peoples, these types of wrongs are far less likely to occur. 2 Nonetheless, many critics see this omission as a serious flaw, and the theory is thought to be inapplicable to the real world until, among other things, a conception of rectification that coheres with the rest of the theory is incorporated. 3 Thus, in this essay, I seek to offer the beginnings of a conception of rectification (a broader term encompassing both principles of compensation and reparation) that is capable of dealing with historical harms committed between peoples and that is in accord with the framework that Rawls develops throughout the corpus of his work. 4 To test the workability of my proposed additions, I apply the principle of rectification to the problem of global climate change, a problem that is at least, in part, a problem of dealing with historical and global harms. I conclude that, while Rawls himself does not offer a conception of rectification as part of his theory, his work is compatible with, and offers substance to, a principle aimed at correcting historical harms. 5 1. The Missing Conception of Rectification: Understanding Ideal and Nonideal Theory In the very first chapter of A Theory of Justice, Rawls explains that he will limit his examination to those principles of justice that would effectively regulate a well-ordered society. To this end, he assumes that everyone in this society will act justly (i.e., that all citizens will do their part in upholding just institutions), and in doing so he assumes strict compliance to the principles of justice. 6 This is what Rawls calls ideal theory. For Rawls, an inquiry into ideal theory begins both by probing into what a perfectly or nearly just constitutional regime would be like and by examining whether a society so described could come about and survive given the circumstances of justice. 7 Rawls calls such a society a realistic utopia. 8 Nonideal theory, on the other hand, assumes either (or both at the same time) partial compliance or a case of unfavorable conditions. Thus, an examination of nonideal theory would explore principles that explained how to deal with various bs_bs_banner

Climate Justice and Historical Emissions

This volume takes up the pressing issues of justice and responsibility that arise at the intersec... more This volume takes up the pressing issues of justice and responsibility that arise at the intersection of food and agricultural systems, environmental degradation, and global climate change. The diverse contributions examine both the various ways that food and agricultural practices contribute to environmental degradation, especially climate change, and the impact that climate change is having and will have on food and agricultural practices. Central questions include: How can the connections between food and agriculture, environmental issues, and climate change best be understood? What are the ethical and political responsibilities of various parties in relation to this nexus of problems? Whose knowledge, concerns, and voices are, and should be, valued in making global climate policy and agricultural and food policy? What are the limitations of existing policies, practices, and theoretical frameworks for understanding and responding to these complex problems?

Environmental Philosophy, 2012

Southwest Philosophy Review, 2007

The Climate Change Debate, 2013

This thesis is dedicated to my parents, Michael and Mary Ellen Kenehan, for their unending suppor... more This thesis is dedicated to my parents, Michael and Mary Ellen Kenehan, for their unending support and encouragement, to Keith Bustos, the love of my life, for inspiring me to do more than I ever thought I could, and to the rest of my family for providing the comic relief and love I needed to make it though this project.