Political responses to the ecological crisis involve experiments with legal solutions sensitive to ecological challenges. These include the growing trend to grant legal personhood to other than human beings (ecosystems), as exemplified by such statuses being provided for the Whanganui River in Aotearoa New Zealand (2017), the Magpie River/Mutuhekau Shipu in Quebec (2021), or Mar Menor lagoon in Spain (2022). The purpose of the seminar will be to think about how such moves can be theorised and justified, focusing on philosophical, rather than strictly legal, considerations.

Assigned reading: Anna Arstein-Kerslake, Erin O’Donnell, Rosemary Kayess & Joanne Watson (2021), “Relational personhood: a conception of legal personhood with insights from disability rights and environmental law,” Griffith Law Review, 30:3, 530-555, DOI: 10.1080/10383441.2021.2003744

Bio: Urszula Lisowska is Assistant Professor at the Institute of Philosophy of the University of Wrocław (Poland), with a research focus in political philosophy. She is particularly interested in foundational questions in politics and sees the ecological crisis as one of such challenges. Lisowska is a member of the permanent organizing team at VEPSS.