Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Boxes
- Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations
- Glossary
- 1 INTRODUCTION
- PART I THEORY: THINKING ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT
- 2 ENVIRONMENTAL PHILOSOPHY
- 3 GREEN POLITICAL THOUGHT
- PART II PARTIES AND MOVEMENTS: GETTING FROM HERE TO THERE
- PART III ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY: ACHIEVING A SUSTAINABLE SOCIETY
- References
- Index
2 - ENVIRONMENTAL PHILOSOPHY
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Boxes
- Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations
- Glossary
- 1 INTRODUCTION
- PART I THEORY: THINKING ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT
- 2 ENVIRONMENTAL PHILOSOPHY
- 3 GREEN POLITICAL THOUGHT
- PART II PARTIES AND MOVEMENTS: GETTING FROM HERE TO THERE
- PART III ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY: ACHIEVING A SUSTAINABLE SOCIETY
- References
- Index
Summary
KEY ISSUES
What are the main theories and debates in environmental philosophy?
Does nature have value independent of human needs?
Are some parts of nature more valuable than others?
On what grounds might humans have duties towards the natural world?
Can environmental philosophy provide the moral basis for a green ideology?
The central and most recalcitrant problem for environmental ethics is the problem of constructing an adequate theory of intrinsic value for nonhuman natural entities and for nature as a whole.
(Callicott 1985: 257)Environmental politics is suffused with ethical dilemmas. Should we reduce the employment prospects of poor people in order to save an endangered species? Are draconian controls on population growth justified if we are to reduce the pressure on the natural environment? Is it wrong to eat meat? Should we ban commercial seal-hunting in order to preserve the Inuit way of life in Canada? Environmental ethics, by examining questions about how humans ought to think about and act towards nature, provides a link between theory and practice. It is primarily concerned with values. Does nature have value separate from its role in meeting human needs? If so, why? Which parts of nature possess value and are some parts more valuable than others?
There is a strong normative element to environmental philosophy. Many leading contributors are also committed activists whose main objective is to develop a robust environmental ethical theory to underpin green activism.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Politics of the EnvironmentIdeas, Activism, Policy, pp. 13 - 39Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2001