A Clean Sweep: an Interview With John Broome

Abstract

This interview with John Broome covers his career transition from economics to philosophy and his subsequent work at their intersection. He outlines a teleological ethical framework, preferring this term to “consequentialism,” which holds that while promoting goodness is a central moral aim, it does not encompass all of morality. Concepts like justice and fairness have distinct structures that resist being reduced to theories of goodness. Fairness is defined as the proportional satisfaction of claims, distinguishing it from justice, which demands absolute satisfaction. Applying these ideas to climate change, Broome argues individuals have a duty of justice to offset their carbon emissions, while governments have a duty of goodness to enact large-scale mitigation. He proposes a World Climate Bank to finance decarbonization through public debt. The discussion also addresses the nature of normativity, where Broome critiques “reasons fundamentalism,” arguing that ‘ought’ is the more fundamental concept. He defines rationality as a property of mental coherence, distinct from the act of responding to reasons. The interview concludes with his advice for students interested in combining economics and philosophy. – AI-generated abstract.