The first anthology to highlight the problems of environmental justice and sustainable development, Reflecting on Nature provides a multicultural perspective on questions of environmental concern, featuring contributions from feminist and minority scholars and scholars from developing countries. Selections examine immediate global needs, addressing some of the most crucial problems we now face: biodiversity loss, the meaning and significance of wilderness, population and overconsumption, and the human use of other animals. Spanning centuries of philosophical, naturalist, and environmental reflection, readings include the work of Aristotle, Locke, Darwin, and Thoreau, as well as that of contemporary, mainstream figures like Bernard Williams, Thomas Hill, Jr., and Jonathan Glover. Works by Val Plumwood, Bill Devall, Murray Bookchin, and John Dryzek comprise a radical ecology section. Featuring insightful section introductions by the editors, this comprehensive and timely collection of philosophical and environmental writing will inform, enlighten, and encourage debate.
General Introduction
PART I: Images of Nature
1. "The Historical Roots of Our Ecological Crisis", Lynn White, Jr.
2. From Genesis
3. From Physics and Politics, Aristotle
4. From the Second Treatise of Government Chapter 5, John Locke
5. From the Origin of Species, Charles Darwin
6, John Muir
7. From "The Land Ethic", Aldo Leopold
8, Thoreau
9. From Principles of Political Economy, John Stuart Mill
10. From Discordant Harmonies, Daniel Botkin
11. From Staying Alive, Vandana Shiva
12. From "The Golden Rule--A Proper Scale for Our Environmental Crisis"
PART II: Ethics and the Environment
Introduction
1. From What Sort of People Should There Be?, Jonathan Glover
2. From "Must a Concern for the Environment be Centered on Human Beings?"
3. From Practical Ethics, Peter Singer
4. From "On Being Morally Considerable", Kenneth Goodpaster
5. From "Environmental Ethics", Holmes Rolston III
6. From Respect for Nature, Paul Taylor
7. "Ideals of Human Excellence", Thomas Hill
PART III: Alternative Perspectives
Introduction
1. From "Deep Ecology and Radical Environmentalism, Bill Devall
2. From Defending the Earth, Murray Bookchin
3. From "Nature, Self, and Gender: Feminism, Environmental Philosophy, and the Critique of Rationalism", Val Plumwood
4. "Green Reson: Communicative Ethics for the Biosphere", John Dryzek
PART IV. Sustainable Development and International Justice
Introduction
1. "Declaration of Principles", The U.N. Conference on the Environment, Stockholm
2. From Our Common Future, The World Commission on Environment and Development
3. From "Environment and Development: The Story of a Dangerous Liaison", Wolfgang Sachs
4. The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development
5. From Free Market Environmentalism, T. Anderson and D. Leal
6. From For Earth's Sake, Commission on Developing Countries and Global Change
7. "Environment, Technology, and Ethics", Rajni Kothri
PART V: Contemporary Issues and Controversies
1. Wilderness Preservation
Introduction
"Radical American Environmentalism and Wilderness Preservation: A Third World Critique"
From "The Wilderness Idea Revisited", J. Baird Callicott
From "The Wilderness Idea Reaffirmed", Holmes Rolston III
2. Animals
Introduction
From "Animals", Lori Gruen
"Against Zoos", Dale Jamieson
From Animal Rights, Human Rights, George Wenzel
3. Population and Consumption
Introduction
From The Population Explosion, Paul and Ann Ehrlich
From The Ultimate Resource, Julian Simon
From "Taking Population Seriously", Frances Moore Lappe and Rachel Schurman
4. Biodiversity
Introduction
"Extinction", Anne and Paul Ehrlich
From The Sinking Ark, Norman Myers
From "Philosophical Problems for Environmentalism", Elliott Sober
Further Reading