Social Values/Ecosystem Services

1. Social Values/Ecosystem Services Paul B. Thompson W.K. Kellogg Professor of Agricultural, Food and Community Ethics Michigan State University

2. Disclaimer

3. Why do they do that? Reasons Behavior …ask them why Observe what they do Identify law-like patterns or regularities Form predictive hypotheses Corroborate or disconfirm …learn their language …interpret their texts

4. Why do they do that? Reasons Behavior …ask them why Rational Choice People behave in ways that will best achieve pre-given ends Observe what they do Identify law-like patterns or regularities Form predictive hypotheses Corroborate or disconfirm …learn their language …interpret their texts

5. Behavior To behave rationally is to maximally satisfy one’s Rational Choice People behave in ways that will best achieve pre-given ends Infer them from behavior preferences From Biology

6. Now apply these tools in making public policy Behavior To behave rationally is to maximally satisfy one’s Rational Choice To behave rationally is to satisfy one’s preferences Rational Choice Policy should maximally satisfy preferences of affected parties. preferences

7. Now apply these tools in making public policy Reasons Behavior Values are a function of preferences derived from observation of behavior. …ask them why Rational Choice Policy should maximally satisfy preferences of affected parties. …learn their language Net social preferences for goods & serves represents the value of those goods and services …interpret their texts

8. Reasons Behavior Values play a key role in the process of reasoning, and can be inferred from the study of the artifacts of reasoning. Values are a function of preferences derived from observation of behavior. …ask them why Rational Choice Policy should maximally satisfy preferences of affected parties. …learn their language Net social preferences for goods & serves represents the value of those goods and services …interpret their texts

9. A conscious, explicit or deliberate process that occurs in response to a felt need or problem Reasons Values play a key role in the process of reasoning, and can be inferred from the study of the artifacts of reasoning. …ask them why …learn their language Thinking: Talking to oneself …interpret their texts Communication: Talking with others

10. Statements in the Optative Mood “Would that Jones were here.” Values play a key role in the process of reasoning, and can be inferred from the study of the artifacts of reasoning. A counterfactual or future condition is asserted as desirable for the purpose of advancing deliberation or taking action. Communication: Talking with others

11. Statements in the Optative Mood “Would that Jones were here.” Instrumental Value Jones’ presence would advance the achievement of a condition sought by parties to the reasoning process Intrinsic Value A counterfactual or future condition is asserted as desirable for the purpose of advancing deliberation. Jones’ presence is itself the condition that a communicatiive process had been launched to achieve.

12. When Assertions in the Optative Mood Are Contested Disagreement about the effectiveness, efficiency, relevance or salience of a stated value to the purpose at hand. Instrumental Value Jones’ presence would advance the achievement of a condition sought by parties to the reasoning process Intrinsic Value Jones’ presence is itself the condition that a communicatiive process had been launched to achieve.

13. When Assertions in the Optative Mood Are Contested Disagreement about the effectiveness, efficiency, relevance or salience of a stated value to the purpose at hand. Disagreement about the effectiveness, efficiency, relevance or salience of a stated value to the purpose at hand. That is, a reason has been presented, and reasoning continues Instrumental Value Jones’ presence would advance the achievement of a condition sought by parties to the reasoning process Intrinsic Value Constitutive Value Values that function to mark and sometimes protect the borders of a discourse community or culture.. Jones’ presence is itself the condition that a communicatiive process had been launched to achieve. Disagreement shows that one is simply not a member of the discourse community. One “doesn’t speak the language”.

14. What About Ecosystem Services? Instrumental Value The value of an ecosystm service is a function of the reasons for thinking that the service will promote some other comprehensive end. Rational Choice Policy should maximally satisfy preferences of affected parties. Ends-in-view: Aims or goals (including goods & services) that serve some further or more comprehensive end. Intrinsic Value Constitutive Value Values that function to mark and sometimes protect the borders of a discourse community or culture.. Jones’ presence is itself the condition that a communicatiive process had been launched to achieve.

15. Reasons Behavior …ask them why Rational Choice Policy should maximally satisfy preferences of affected parties. …learn their language The value of an ecosystm service is a function of the reasons for thinking that the service will promote some other comprehensive end. Net social preferences for goods & serves represents the value of those goods and services …interpret their texts

16. What About Ecosystem Services? Instrumental Value The value of an ecosystm service is a function of the reasons for thinking that the service will promote some other comprehensive end. Ends-in-view: Aims or goals (including goods & services) that serve some further or more comprehensive end. Intrinsic Value Constitutive Value Values that function to mark and sometimes protect the borders of a discourse community or culture.. Jones’ presence is itself the condition that a communicatiive process had been launched to achieve. Preservation of habitat for humans and other creatures is a constitutive value for some communities.

17. Reasons Behavior This may be a constitutive value for some scientific communities …ask them why Rational Choice Policy should maximally satisfy preferences of affected parties. The potential range of constitutive alues is as diverse as the range of communities. …learn their language Net social preferences for goods & serves represents the value of those goods and services …interpret their texts Preservation of habitat for humans and other creatures is a constitutive value for some communities.

18. Interaction, communication and conflict between and among discourse communities each defined and delimited by constitutive values is a noteworthy kind of social problem. Reasons Behavior This may be a constitutive value for some scientific communities …ask them why Rational Choice Policy should maximally satisfy preferences of affected parties. The potential range of constitutive alues is as diverse as the range of communities. …learn their language …interpret their texts Especially when community boundaries are drawn or reinforced along ethnic, racial, religious or gender lines.

19. Inthe age of sustainability, these problems and felt needs are often named under the heading of social justice. Reasons Behavior Tensions between and among communities with distinct constitutive values. …ask them why The potential range of constitutive alues is as diverse as the range of communities. …learn their language …interpret their texts

20. Inthe age of sustainability, these problems and felt needs are often named under the heading of social justice. Or when environmental goods are at stake, environmental justice. Reasons Behavior Tensions between and among communities with distinct constitutive values. …ask them why The potential range of constitutive alues is as diverse as the range of communities. Distributive Justice Fair distribution of burdens and benefits. …learn their language Participatory Justice Opportunity to have voice in decisions affecting one’s group. …interpret their texts Restorative Justice Recognition of identity and retribution for past harms.

21. Given that incompatible constitutive values and entrenched power inequality may lie at the bottom of the these problems in allocating ecosystem services, what should we do? Reasons Behavior Tensions between and among communities with distinct constitutive values. …ask them why The potential range of constitutive alues is as diverse as the range of communities. …learn their language We Reason We Fight …interpret their texts

22. Given that incompatible constitutive values and entrenched power inequality may lie at the bottom of the these problems in allocating ecosystem services, what should we do? Reasons Behavior Tensions between and among communities with distinct constitutive values. …ask them why The potential range of constitutive alues is as diverse as the range of communities. …learn their language We Reason We Fight Insisting on a prevailing constitutive value (such as rational choice) is an exercise of power. …interpret their texts

23. Given that incompatible constitutive values and entrenched power inequality may lie at the bottom of the these problems in allocating ecosystem services, what should we do? Reasons Behavior Tensions between and among communities with distinct constitutive values. …ask them why The potential range of constitutive alues is as diverse as the range of communities. …learn their language We Reason Implies a sustained effort to build a shared vocabulary. We Fight Insisting on a prevailing constitutive value (such as ratioinal choice) is an exercise of power.

24. Thank-you. Paul B. Thompson thomp649@msu.edu