Ethics and Environmental Policy: Theory Meets Practice

In this collection of essays, leading environmentalists and philosophers explore the relationship between environmental ethics and policy, both in theory and practice. The first section of the book focuses on four approaches to change in ethical theory: ecological science, feminist metaphysics, Chinese philosophy, and holistic postmodern technology. In subsequent sections the contributors emphasize the need for nontraditional solutions and attempt to expand awareness of the most pressing practical problems. Among the topics discussed are the possibilities of real international cooperation, the inequitable but economically intractable issue of global gasses, the political and ethical challenges of city planning, and the growing evidence of fundamental inappropriateness in treating land as legal private property.

This volume is based on essays presented in 1992 at the Second International Conference on Ethics and Environmental Policy. The conference was held in response to the increasing need for a new ethics that would counter the traditional human-centered, dominantly individualistic approach of the industrial world toward the environment.

In this collection of essays, leading environmentalists and philosophers explore the relationship between environmental ethics and policy, both in theory and practice. The first section of the book focuses on four approaches to change in ethical theory: ecological science, feminist metaphysics, Chinese philosophy, and holistic postmodern technology. In subsequent sections the contributors emphasize the need for nontraditional solutions and attempt to expand awareness of the most pressing practical problems. Among the topics discussed are the possibilities of real international cooperation, the inequitable but economically intractable issue of global gasses, the political and ethical challenges of city planning, and the growing evidence of fundamental inappropriateness in treating land as legal private property.

This volume is based on essays presented in 1992 at the Second International Conference on Ethics and Environmental Policy. The conference was held in response to the increasing need for a new ethics that would counter the traditional human-centered, dominantly individualistic approach of the industrial world toward the environment.

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Papers revised from their presentation at the Second International Conference on Ethics and Environmental Policy, held at the U. of Georgia (Athens) in April 1992. Following the introduction by Victoria Davion, 13 papers are arranged in three sections: resources for a practical environmental ethics; practical pressures on environmental ethics; and what should environmental philosophers do? This last section contains five essays all written by professional philosophers. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Frederick Ferré is Research Professor of Philosophy at the University of Georgia. His many books include Philosophy of Technology (Georgia).

Peter Hartel is an associate professor of crop and soil sciences at the University of Georgia. He is the editor of Agricultural Ethics: Issues for the 21st Century.