Vol. XXXVIII / 1 - Studia Moralia

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AS A TASK OF THE STATE. ETHICAL ASPECTS 223
one country adds to the environmental burdon of another
country, the former is actually encroaching on the territory of
the latter, against the latter‘s will and interests. It could be said
that the perpetrating country is committing an act of aggression
and violating the sovereignty of the other country. Otfried Höffe
once referred to this as a “perpetuation of warfare with other
means” 11 . The issue of sustainable development not only
requires the concept of national sovereignty to undergo a
relativization, but also requires that it should be treated with
respect.
The individual elements of “sustainable development” as a
task for the state can be described as follows:
Social Order:
By virtue of its democratic legitimation and constitutional
foundations, the state plays a special role in the definition,
interpretation and implementation of sustainable development.
It is incumbent upon the state to devise the framework of social
order imperative to achieving this end through the legislative
means put at its disposal in the constitution.
Security:
Security in this context refers to securing the natural
resources necessary for sustaining human life.
Orientation:
Mainstream liberal western political philosophy does not
delegate leadership in matters of worldview and beliefs to the
state. Orientation in this context refers to the concrete
establishment of normative rules of action which citizens have
generally accepted. A conceptual framework of this kind must
by its nature address goals of sustainability, guidelines, and
various problems solving options, all of which involve values
that are of ethical significance.
11
Höffe, O., Moral als Preis der Moderne. Ein Versuch über
Wissenschaft, Technik und Umwelt (Frankfurt/M.: Suhrkamp 1993), p. 195.