DIGSSCORE Seminar: Moral motivations for climate friendly behavior

Dag Elgesem, Department of Information Science and Media Studies at University of Bergen, will present for us today: 

Elster (The cement of society, 1989) distinguishes between two types of non-consequentialist motivations with agents facing public goods situations. 1) Everyday Kantianism: do what is best if everybody did the same, 2) Social norms: avoid blame from others. Using evidence from the Norwegian Citizen Panel I argue that both types are present in moral motivations to make climate friendly choices. Some of the findings:

• Most of the respondents say they have a moral responsibility to make climate friendly choices
• Everyday Kantians self-report a stronger moral motivation to make climate-friendly choices than those motivated only by social norms
• Everyday Kantians are motivated both by the efficacy of their actions and by their concern for the harm of climate change to future generations

Those that are mostly motivated by social norms are concerned that climate change will harm future generations but think individual actions have no or vanishingly small consequences for climate change. 

The event is in a hybrid format, you are welcome to join us in the Corner room at DIGSSCORE. Lunch is provided on a first-come first-served basis. 

Zoom link for digital attendance.

Password: bMAhpB05