Environmental Thought A Short History

by Attfield, Robin

• ISBN13: 9781509536665
• ISBN10: 1509536663
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2021-06-01
• Publisher: Polity

Summary

Environmental thought has a rich and extensive history. Philosopher Robin Attfield guides readers through the key developments and debates that have defined the field from ancient times to the present.

Attfield investigates ancient, medieval and early modern environmental contributions; Darwin and his successors; the debate in America involving Thoreau, Marsh, Muir and Pinchot; the foundation of the science of ecology in the Western world; and twentieth century trailblazers like Aldo Leopold and Rachel Carson. Central themes of key environmentalist works of the 1970s and 1980s are discussed, along with the major debates in environmental philosophy, including Lovelock’s Gaia hypothesis. Attfield then turns to the current environmental emergency, encompassing the crises of climate change, air pollution and biodiversity loss, exploring contemporary intellectual responses to it. Each chapter concludes with a list of recommended readings, selected to invite readers to explore the book’s topics in greater depth.

Environmental Thought: A Short History will become a pivotal text in its field, of interest to students and scholars of history, philosophy, ethics, geography, religion, biology and environmental studies.

Author Biography

Robin Attfield is Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at Cardiff University. He has taught and researched ethics, philosophy of religion, history of philosophy and environmental philosophy for over fifty years, and is the author or editor of fifteen books and over 250 articles and chapters. He is a former member of the Council of the Royal Institute of Philosophy, a former co-opted member of the Executive Committee of the British Philosophical Association, and current Chair of the Cardiff and District Branch of the United Nations Association.

Table of Contents

Table of contents:
Introduction
1 Pre-Modern Attitudes and Influences
2 Early Modern Reflections
3 Darwin and His Successors
4 The American Debate
5 Foundations of the Science of Ecology
6 Further Origins of Conservation
7 Early Environmentalism
8 Environmental Philosophy and Kindred Studies
9 Green Issues and Movements
10 The Environmental Crisis
Conclusion
References
Index