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Extinction risks and resilience: A perspective on existential risks research with nuclear war as an exemplary threat
[journal article]
Abstract A growing awareness of potential global catastrophes has recently given increased attention to the topic of existential risks. To date, there is still very limited consensus on the definition of existential risk, the likelihood of those risks, and their ethical implications. To achieve more clarity,... view more
A growing awareness of potential global catastrophes has recently given increased attention to the topic of existential risks. To date, there is still very limited consensus on the definition of existential risk, the likelihood of those risks, and their ethical implications. To achieve more clarity, it is proposed here that extinction risks should be discerned more clearly from other aspects of existential risks. Nuclear war is taken as a prime example to illustrate an extinction risk and to discuss humanity’s resilience to such threats. It is concluded that it is unlikely that a nuclear war would lead to the end of the human species, despite the unprecedented damage it might cause. Further, some of the ethical aspects of longtermism and the communication of existential risks are discussed.... view less
Keywords
disaster; war; risk research; nuclear weapon; resilience
Classification
Other Fields of Sociology
Free Keywords
existential risks; nuclear war; resilience factors; extinction risks; longtermism
Document language
English
Publication Year
2022
Page/Pages
p. 4-12
Journal
Intergenerational Justice Review, 8 (2022) 1
Issue topic
Existential and unknown risks for future generations (I)
DOI
https://doi.org/10.24357/igjr.8.1.995
ISSN
2190-6335
Status
Published Version; peer reviewed