Environment and Philosophy

Description

Concern over the environment and what we are doing to it has put important questions on the moral and political agenda. One that is often asked in the West is whether we do indeed face a terminal environmental catastrophe in the foreseeable future. Less dramatic but still serious threats to the attractiveness and sustaining powers of the world in which we live are also important considerations. Environment and Philosophy provides an accessible introduction to the radical challenges that environmentalism poses to concepts that have become almost second nature in the modern world, including the ideas of science and objectivity the conventional placement of the human being within the environment the individualism of convential Modern thought Written in an accessible way for those without a background in philosophy, this text examines ways of thinking about ourselves, nature and our relationship with nature. It offers an introduction to the phenomenological perspective on environmental issues, and also to the questions of what natural beauty is for the threat to it to play a role in practical decision-making.

'This is probably the best available introductory text on the subject.' - Prof Brian Field, De Montfort University 'Recommended not only to those who are involved with environmental questions, but also to researchers in natural and social sciences. A philosophical reflexion would certainly have the advantage of giving a new dimension to their own approach.' - Cybergeo