Assessing Feasibility with Value-laden Models

In this Open-Access-book, the author investigates the value dimension of Integrated Assessment Models and their application to questions of feasibility. Integrated models provide a quantified representation of the interaction between the socio-economic system with the climate and serve as a pivotal tool at the intersection of climate science, policymakers, and society. This book critically examines how IAMs approach the concept of feasibility. It unpacks the value assumptions embedded within integrated modeling, critiques the implicit normativity of these models, and proposes principles for responsibly managing value judgments in scientific advice. Arguing for a thick conception of feasibility—one that integrates key normative dimensions—it highlights the gap between conceptual discussions of feasibility and the scientific practices that inform feasibility assessments. Addressed to both philosophers and integrated modelers, this book sheds light on the implicit values shaping our collective visions for the future.

About the author

Simon Hollnaicher is a philosopher whose research focuses on climate ethics and values in science. In the winter semester, he is a research associate at the Department of Philosophy at Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg. Previously, he was working at the Department of Philosophy at Bielefeld University and at the Institute of Philosophy at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin.