TY - EJOU AU - Tännsjö, T. Torbjörn TI - Who Cares? ―The COVID-19 Pandemic, Global Heating and the Future of Humanity1 T2 - Journal of Controversial Ideas PY - 2021 VL - 1 IS - 1 SN - 2694-5991 AB - The COVID-19 pandemic has engendered unprecedented drastic and costly measures to obviate the threat. Will something similar happen in relation to global heating? No, this is not likely. Mainly this has to do with a difference in the nature of collective action. Nation states protect their respective populations against the virus. With regard to global heating, we are facing the tragedy of the commons. No global government assumes responsibility for our common future. However, there may be another and further explanation lurking behind political inaction: many people, including our politicians, think that it does not matter if humanity goes extinct. It does matter, however. Strangely enough, the view that it matters is questioned by many important philosophers in the past and in the present, and it is hence controversial. Yet, it should be our common-sense stance to the problem. It is of the utmost importance that there will be sentient happy life on the globe for an indefinite time. Theoretically speaking, in order to recognize this, we need to accept some “total” view, implying what has been called the repugnant conclusion. Practically speaking, we should go to great length to rescue our human civilisation, even if this means that, for a while, we must endure all sorts of hardships such as a global enlightened despotism, or worse—a situation of life boat ethics. KW - global heating KW - global government KW - global despotism KW - life-boat ethics KW - pessimism KW - actualism KW - deep ecology KW - the repugnant conclusion DO - 10.35995/jci01010001