Environmental Philosophy: From Theory to Practice

How do we distinguish legitimate environmental problems from thosethat are not genuine? What should we be concerned with saving–is ithumanity′s future alone that we should work toward? What of otherspecies, ecosystems, and the natural physical features of Earth? Dowe have responsibilities to animals? To future generations thatwill be affected by climate change?

Environmental philosophy is a multidisciplinary endeavor thatengages with theoretical concepts of both traditional philosophyand the wide variety of interrelated environmental sciences.Environmental impacts and the path forward are also critical issuesin the real world, so equally important is the practicalapplication of theory into policy.

In this comprehensive guide, environmental theorist SahotraSarkar delves into our thinking around these issues, coveringethics, decision theory, conservation biology, restoration ecology,sustainability, and more. He addresses current topics in thepolitics of environmentalism, examining the claims of ecofeminism,social ecology, and the environmental justice movements.

This guide constitutes the first comprehensive treatment ofenvironmental philosophy, going beyond ethics to address thephilosophical concepts that underlie environmental thinking andpolicy–making today.

Acknowledgments ix

List of Acronyms xi

1 Introduction 1

2 What Is the Environment? 13

3 Ethics for the Environment 38

4 From Ethics to Policy 65

5 Biodiversity and Conservation 98

6 Environmental Restoration 130

7 Sustainability 157

8 Justice and Equity 174

9 Where Does This Leave Us? 196

Glossary 202

References 204

Index 219

Sahotra Sarkar specializes in the history and philosophy ofscience and conservation biology; he helped develop the frameworkfor systematic conservation planning for the protection ofbiodiversity (as co–author, with Chris Margules, of SystematicConservation Planning). He also co–edited The Philosophy ofScience: An Encyclopedia and A Companion to the Philosophyof Biology. He is the author of Doubting Darwin?:Creationist Designs on Evolution (Blackwell), Genetics andReductionism, Molecular Models of Life, and Biodiversity and Environmental Philosophy. He is a professorof Philosophy and Integrative Biology at the University of Texas atAustin.