Taebi, B. (Behnam)
Research profile
I am an assistant professor of philosophy at Delft University of Technology and teach ‘Engineering Ethics’, ‘Environmental Philosophy’ and ‘Climate Ethics’. My research interests are primarily in ethics of energy systems and climate change. I studied Material Science and Engineering (2006) and received my PhD in philosophy of technology (2010) (see here my dissertation).
Currently, I am working on a book on ‘Ethics of nuclear power’ (under contract to Springer), in which I reflect on the technological methods for atomic power production and nuclear waste management from the perspective of the fundamental ethical issues they give rise to. The focus of this book will be on sustainability, intergenerational justice and intragenerational justice.
Media appearances (English and Dutch):
- Op ed in The New York Times, the Burden of Nuclear Waste, 29 August 2010
- A short lecture on Ethics and Nuclear Power on YouTube.
- Dutch: Interview in de Delta, het blad van de TU Delft, 23 juni 2010.
- Dutch: Opiniestuk in NRC Handelsbald, 11 september 2011.
- Dutch: Labyrint TV, De veerkracht van Tsjernobyl, 22 februari 2011 (met een intearctieve napraatsessie).
3TU.Ethics Projects
The story of recycling nuclear waste, accompanying risks and associated values
Scientific publications (selection)
Taebi, B. Forthcoming. Multinational nuclear waste repositories and their complex issues of justice. Ethics, Policy & Environment: forthcoming in Spring 2012, Volume 15, Issue 1.
Taebi, B. 2012. Intergenerational Risks of Nuclear Energy. In Handbook of Risk Theory. Epistemology, Decision Theory, Ethics and Social Implications of Risk, edited by S. Roeser, R. Hillerbrand, P. Sandin and M. Peterson. Dordrecht: Springer: 295-318. available online
Taebi, B. 2011. The Morally Desirable Option for Nuclear Power Production. Philosophy & Technology 24 (2): 169-192. available online
Taebi, B. 2011. Ethics of Nuclear Power: How to understand sustainability in the nuclear debate. In Nuclear Power - Deployment, Operation and Sustainability, edited by P. Tsvetkov: InTech: Rijeka, Croatia, InTech: 129-150. available online
Taebi, B. 2010. Sustainable energy and the controversial case of nuclear power. In Sustainability Ethics: 5 questions, edited by R. Raffaelle, W. Robison and E. Selinger. Copenhagen: Automatic Press: 233-242. available online
Taebi, B. and A.C. Kadak. 2010. Intergenerational Considerations Affecting the Future of Nuclear Power: Equity as a Framework for Assessing Fuel Cycles. Risk Analysis 30 (9):1341-1362. available online
Taebi, B. 2009. Nuclear Power and Prima Facie Duties towards Future People, Proceedings of the conference ISTAS IEEE International Symposium on Technology and Society Proceedings 2009, May 18-20, 2009, Tempe, Arizona: 1-4. available online
Taebi, B. and J. L. Kloosterman. 2008. To Recycle or Not to Recycle? An Intergenerational Approach to Nuclear Fuel Cycles. Science and Engineering Ethics 14 (2):177-200. available online
Professional/Popular publications (selection)
Taebi, B. 2010. Een nieuwe splijtstofcyclus kan het vastgelopen debat over kernenergie doen kantelen, Opinie & Debat/ NRC Handelsblad, 11 september 2010 
Taebi, B. 2010. The Burden of Nuclear Waste. New York Times (International Herald Tribune) Op-Ed, August 30 2010 available online
Taebi, B. 2009. Splijtbare rechtvaardigheid, kernenergie en belangenconflicten tussen generaties In De politiek der dingen, edited by F. Bolkestein, J. M. van den Hoven, I. R. van de Poel and I. Oosterlaken. Budel: Uitgeverij Damon: 139-151. available online
Taebi, B. and S. Polder-Verkiel. 2008. Engineering ontmoet filosofie: verstandshuwelijk of ware liefde? Algemeen Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Wijsbegeerte , jrg. 100, nr 3, 247-250.
Taebi, B. 2007. It’s Time for Science Globalization. In: M. van der Sanden, (ed.). You can’t just blame the crocodile, Delft engineers travel into sustainability, Delft University of Technology (ISBN 978-90-79347-01-8)
Dölle, L., T. Monasso and B. Taebi. 2006. Alle Studenten aan de Gedragscode? Delta (het wekelijkse blad van de TU Delft), november 2006. available online
Teaching
* Climate Ethics (WM0353TU)
* Climate Change: Science & Ethics (CIE4510)
* Ethics for Aerospace Engineering (WM0324LR)
* Technology Development & Impact Assessment (EPA2240)
* Environmental Philosophy (WM0346TU)
You can find here a list of all philosophy courses we provide at Delft.
