Jozef Keulartz

Short CV:
Jozef Keulartz is Associate Professor Applied Philosophy at Wageningen University and Research Centre, the Netherlands. He has been appointed special chair for Environmental Philosophy at the Radboud University Nijmegen, the Netherlands. He has published extensively in different areas of science and technology studies, social and political philosophy, bioethics, environmental ethics and nature policy. Keulartz is a member of the scientific council of the European Centre for Nature Conservation (ECNC). He is also a member of the Netherlands Commission on Genetic Modification (GOGEM).

Keywords: Ecological restoration, reintroduction, exotic species, sustainable development, pragmatist ethics, adaptive management, resilience approach, climate debate, global justice, boundary work.

 Areas of interest in environmental philosophy:
The ethical ramifications of two major (complementary) challenges for nature conservation and ecological restoration:

• The (re)introduction of indigenous species that are being pushed out of their native environment.
• The control of invasive species that threaten to degrade or destroy ecosystems.
• The ethical problems that result from two contradictory trends:
• The gradual shift from ecological restoration to ecological design. This shift is unavoidable when the past (due to environmental change) is no longer an accurate indicator for the future. But the notion of designer ecosystems could also reinforce the “misguided faith in the hegemony and infallibility of the human power to control the natural world”, to use Eric Katz’ words.
• The collapse of the ideal of absolute control over nature. The command-and-control approach that attempts to turn complex, nonlinear systems into predictable, stable and economically efficient systems by replacing natural ecological controls with engineered constructs has become evermore expensive, irrational and finally counterproductive.

The ethical complexities regarding global climate change:

• The ‘what’ of climate change policy: developing a framework for fair burden sharing.
• The ‘how’ of climate change policy: developing new forms of mutual action and collaboration.

Contact details:
F.W.J. (Jozef) Keulartz
Department of Applied Philosophy
Wageningen University & Research Centre
P.O. Box 8130
6700 EW Wageningen,
The Netherlands
+31 317 483637
jozef.keulartz@wur.nl
www.socialsciences.wur.nl/tf

Institute for Science, Innovation & Society
Radboud University Nijmegen
Toernooiveld 1
6525 ED Nijmegen
The Netherlands

Academia website: http://wu.academia.edu/jozefkeulartz