Multispecies Justice Through Interspecies Deliberation

Abstract

In this paper, we argue that multispecies justice should be able to integrate diverse ontologies, especially relational ontologies that emphasize relationships between human and more-than-human beings. After reviewing three existing accounts, we develop an approach to interspecies deliberation that includes plants. We provide an outline of the deliberative procedure, discuss participation requirements, risks, an alternative deliberative paradigm, and the role of transdisciplinary research. Two case studies, drawing on socio-ecological and ecosystem perspectives, inform our analysis. Based on them, we propose a procedural, meliorist, and situated account of multispecies justice through interspecies deliberation that can inform decision-making in multispecies contexts.