Reaching environmental decisions: making subjective and objective judgments

Journal Article · Mon Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1982 · Environ. Manage.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01871430· OSTI ID:5233705

Ghiselin, J

Objective judgments, external to the judge, are compared with subjective, internal judgments. This analysis is made in the context of reaching regulatory decisions affecting the human environment. Examples given include evaluating the potential risk of industrial chemicals and comparing the potential effects of short- and long-term changes in land use. The analysis deals not with the decisions themselves, but rather with the kinds of questions that must be posed in order to reach such decisions. Decision makers may spuriously distinguish objective from subjective types of judgment, though these are rarely wholly separate. Judges can hardly dispute about objective statements, if truly identical definitions are used. But subjective statements can reasonably be voted upon. Scientists, engineers, and economists represent logical or objective decision makers, tending to work in groups. Subjective thinkers include artists and performers, and others who often work alone. Moral and aesthetic aspects of questions, usually seen as intangible, are treated as if subjective. Financial decisions, usually viewed as tangible, are handled as objective problems. This mechanism for making decisions is well-established in environmental assessment. Though objective questions can be treated well in the monetary terms of cost-benefit analysis, subjective ones cannot. Mathematical and other variants are discussed in relation to the comparison of alternative types of tests.

• OSTI ID: 5233705
• Journal Information: Environ. Manage.; (United States), Journal Name: Environ. Manage.; (United States) Vol. 6:2; ISSN EMNGD
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290300* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Environment
Health
& Safety
510600 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Regulations-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
DECISION MAKING
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
EVALUATION
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
HUMAN FACTORS
LAND USE
MATERIALS
MATHEMATICS
REGULATIONS
RISK ASSESSMENT
TESTING