Rethinking ethics in policymaking: Dharma, reversibility and the imperatives of environmental policymaking

Since the age of Enlightenment, some philosophical traditions have assumed that human actions are ethically neutral, based on the belief that the non-human world is self-regulating and capable of maintaining balance regardless of human impact. However, with increasing human interference in the climate system and the accelerating rate of species extinction driven by human activity, this assumption appears to be flawed. Given the current environmental realities, the consequences of these actions are becoming increasingly difficult to manage, which demonstrates the need to challenge these frameworks. This paper outlines a framework for analysing political action by shifting the focus away from a solely human-centred perspective in ethics and decision-making, drawing on the concepts of reversibility and dharma. Reversibility integrates normative theory, political practice and policymaking, offering a way to address contemporary political challenges in a complex and pluralistic world. It emphasises that the human and non-human worlds are deeply interconnected and cannot be treated as separate. This perspective aligns with the principles of dharma, which advocate for the maintenance and preservation of cosmic order. Both reversibility and dharma highlight the responsibility humans have towards both the human and non-human realms, emphasising our interconnectedness. By bringing these approaches together, this paper proposes a novel framework for critically assessing the ethical dimensions of policies in today's uncertain and contingent world.