Individual and corporate responsibility for societal and environmental damagePhD student: Prof E.R. de Jong
Promotor: Mrs Prof A.L.M. Keirse
Duration: 1/1/2011 - 31/12/2014
PhD defence: Utrecht, 3/6/2016
Abstract:
In production and consumption processes considerations regarding the consequences of these processes for society and the environment tend to play a marginal role, whereas these processes can have (extremely) damaging effects on the environment and human beings. This study examines whether individuals (in their role as consumers) and corporations have ethical responsibilities for their damaging acts towards society and the environment and whether these responsibilities should be laid down in the law of contract and/or liability law provisions. A distinction will be made between acts which have damage as a direct effect, and acts ensuing from institutional structures and the rationality of these institutional structures (e.g. the market economy), which are only indirectly harmful. These acts are harmful due to the fact that many people carry out such acts. The study will be interdisciplinary in nature. Disciplines like social theory, philosophy, jurisprudence and private law (with a comparative part) will be invoked