# Contested concept: precautionary principle

_**What you are reading**: one contested-concept page in Deliberus's deliberation graph. Deliberus maps human reasoning — including claims that are contested, mistaken, or extreme — so that disagreement can be examined precisely. A claim's presence here is not an endorsement: the graph records that someone argued it, how it connects to other reasoning, and how far scrutiny has gotten. The metadata on this page describes the state of that scrutiny, not the truth of the claim._

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- **Contestedness**: semantic
- **Diagnosis**: Critics attack the strong version while defenders cite the weak or proportionate one, so the two sides talk past each other. Disputes over coherence, usefulness and harm often reflect different definitions.
- **Canonical**: `/concept/precautionary principle` (data: `/concept/precautionary principle.json`)

## Senses in use
- **Proportionate, triggered by serious/irreversible threat plus uncertainty, shifting the burden of proof** — used in 8 claim(s)
- **Strong: bans or restrains action absent proof of no harm, with no cost-benefit balancing** — used in 8 claim(s)
- **Weak: precaution under uncertainty is permissible; a truism** — used in 6 claim(s)
- **A binding legal source of law versus a mere lens or approach** — used in 4 claim(s)
- **Active form: choose less risky alternatives and take responsibility; cost-effective measures** — used in 3 claim(s)

## Claims using this term
- [The weak versions of the Precautionary Principle are uncontroversial in principle.](/claim/claim_06dcd34bef04.md) _(sense: Weak: precaution under uncertainty is permissible; a truism)_
- [If all that the weak precautionary principle states is that it is permissible to act in a precautionary manner where there is a possible ri…](/claim/claim_1d6b493dfe6d.md) _(sense: Weak: precaution under uncertainty is permissible; a truism)_
- [The term principle has special connotations in legal language, due to the fact that a principle of law is a source of law.](/claim/claim_23eb18fb1ea1.md) _(sense: A binding legal source of law versus a mere lens or approach)_
- [Requiring proof of "no environmental harm" before any action proceeds implies the public is not prepared to accept any environmental risk, …](/claim/claim_2f2d8ae57a25.md) _(sense: Strong: bans or restrains action absent proof of no harm, with no cost-benefit balancing)_
- [Weak formulations of the precautionary principle hold that precaution in the face of uncertain harms is permissible.](/claim/claim_311b55235f93.md) _(sense: Weak: precaution under uncertainty is permissible; a truism)_
- [[The precautionary principle] and accompanying need to take precautionary measures is "triggered" when two prior conditions exist: a threat…](/claim/claim_37a6508119d9.md) _(sense: Proportionate, triggered by serious/irreversible threat plus uncertainty, shifting the burden of proof)_
- [Dave Brower (Friends of the Earth) concluded that "all technology should be assumed guilty until proven innocent".](/claim/claim_396b398829ee.md) _(sense: Strong: bans or restrains action absent proof of no harm, with no cost-benefit balancing)_
- [Once both [conditions, a threat of serious or irreversible damage and scientific uncertainty as to the extent of possible damage,] are sati…](/claim/claim_4074dea7be7f.md) _(sense: Proportionate, triggered by serious/irreversible threat plus uncertainty, shifting the burden of proof)_
- [Where there are threats of serious, negative animal welfare outcomes, lack of full scientific certainty as to the sentience of the animals …](/claim/claim_533f0f7a4370.md) _(sense: Active form: choose less risky alternatives and take responsibility; cost-effective measures)_
- [In this sense, the precautionary principle is not a simple idea or a desideratum but a source of law.](/claim/claim_574fe5aab12b.md) _(sense: A binding legal source of law versus a mere lens or approach)_
- [[Under the Precautionary Principle] you are not allowed to balance costs against benefits when deciding what to do.](/claim/claim_61b6c01ec5b9.md) _(sense: Strong: bans or restrains action absent proof of no harm, with no cost-benefit balancing)_
- [Under the precautionary principle it is the responsibility of an activity-proponent to establish that the proposed activity will not (or is…](/claim/claim_61eafced0f19.md) _(sense: Proportionate, triggered by serious/irreversible threat plus uncertainty, shifting the burden of proof)_
- [The active form of the precautionary principle means [...] "taking responsibility for potential risks."](/claim/claim_629a86c2decb.md) _(sense: Active form: choose less risky alternatives and take responsibility; cost-effective measures)_
- [The Precautionary Principle says that if some course of action carries even a remote chance of irreparable damage to the ecology, then you …](/claim/claim_736edc3a311e.md) _(sense: Strong: bans or restrains action absent proof of no harm, with no cost-benefit balancing)_
- [The strong precautionary principle is not protective, it is "paralyzing".](/claim/claim_76cd158b869b.md) _(sense: Strong: bans or restrains action absent proof of no harm, with no cost-benefit balancing)_
- [The precautionary principle shifts the burden of proof.](/claim/claim_7d7fd31d894e.md) _(sense: Proportionate, triggered by serious/irreversible threat plus uncertainty, shifting the burden of proof)_
- [The active form of the precautionary principle means "choosing less risky alternatives when they are available"](/claim/claim_7f71c41a6818.md) _(sense: Active form: choose less risky alternatives and take responsibility; cost-effective measures)_
- [The Precautionary Principle [is] a new legal standard for a technological age.](/claim/claim_898e598d9d8a.md) _(sense: A binding legal source of law versus a mere lens or approach)_
- ["The precautionary principle should not be used to try to avoid all risks."](/claim/claim_9935fda42a89.md) _(sense: Proportionate, triggered by serious/irreversible threat plus uncertainty, shifting the burden of proof)_
- [The strong version of the precautionary principle, in that "[i]t [the strong version of the precautionary principle] bans the very steps th…](/claim/claim_b6f0edcdc5be.md) _(sense: Strong: bans or restrains action absent proof of no harm, with no cost-benefit balancing)_
- [The burden of showing that this threat [of serious or irreversible environmental damage] is negligible reverts to the proponent [of the act…](/claim/claim_bdc1705f2bfd.md) _(sense: Proportionate, triggered by serious/irreversible threat plus uncertainty, shifting the burden of proof)_
- [The weak versions of the Precautionary Principle state a truism.](/claim/claim_c9316bfb035a.md) _(sense: Weak: precaution under uncertainty is permissible; a truism)_
- [Humans practice weak precaution every day.](/claim/claim_c98b14a6ae0b.md) _(sense: Weak: precaution under uncertainty is permissible; a truism)_
- [A precautionary approach is a particular "lens" used to identify risk that every prudent person possesses](/claim/claim_d6858ff225a5.md) _(sense: A binding legal source of law versus a mere lens or approach)_
- [The strict form of the precautionary principle "requires inaction when action might pose a risk"](/claim/claim_df15d68cc48f.md) _(sense: Strong: bans or restrains action absent proof of no harm, with no cost-benefit balancing)_
- [[When an activity raises threats of harm to human health or the environment, and some cause and effect relationships are not fully establis…](/claim/claim_e9a8c1858342.md) _(sense: Proportionate, triggered by serious/irreversible threat plus uncertainty, shifting the burden of proof)_
- [The stronger form [of the precautionary principle] acts as restraint on development in the absence of firm evidence that it will do no harm.](/claim/claim_eb3031ec4727.md) _(sense: Strong: bans or restrains action absent proof of no harm, with no cost-benefit balancing)_
- [The precautionary measures appropriate will depend on the combined effect of "the degree of seriousness and irreversibility of the threat a…](/claim/claim_f41a8fa14bf1.md) _(sense: Proportionate, triggered by serious/irreversible threat plus uncertainty, shifting the burden of proof)_
- [Weak precaution [a version of the precautionary principle] holds that lack of scientific evidence does not preclude action if damage would …](/claim/claim_f4b9308391aa.md) _(sense: Weak: precaution under uncertainty is permissible; a truism)_