WHEN SHOULD GEOLOGISTS GIVE A SCHIST? A NEED FOR MORE PHILOSOPHY OF GEOLOGY.

Topics like climate change pushes geologists to face dilemmas that call for a nuanced and philosophical understanding of the balance and interconnectedness between resource allocation and its societal consequences. However, the philosophy of geology is largely underserved in both geology and the philosophy of science academic landscapes (Frodeman, 2014). The lack of established work in the philosophy of geology creates difficulty for geologists when they must navigate situations that call for a synthesis of both ethical and scientific considerations. This dynamic and complex topic has generated buzzwords at geology conferences such as “geoethics” and “practical considerations” sparking much discussion about the ethical considerations of geologic research. While ethical considerations are undeniably important for geology, this project rejects the idea of focusing on ethics as a stand-alone issue without first putting the term geoethics and other associated terms under philosophical scrutiny. This project seeks to demonstrate the interconnectedness of how geologic research, ethics, and the environment impact society highlighting the importance of philosophic and scientific training for geologists.