Environmental Philosophy in Desperate Times
  • Publication Date: September 21, 2022
  • ISBN: 9781554815364 / 1554815363
  • 186 pages; 6" x 9"

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Environmental Philosophy in Desperate Times

  • Publication Date: September 21, 2022
  • ISBN: 9781554815364 / 1554815363
  • 186 pages; 6" x 9"

Environmental Philosophy in Desperate Times examines environmental philosophy in the context of climate denial, inaction, and thoughtlessness. It introduces readers to the varied theories and movements of environmental philosophy. But more than that, it seeks to unsettle our received understanding of the world and our role in it, especially through consideration of Indigenous, feminist, and radical voices.

Comments

“Justin Pack’s Environmental Philosophy in Desperate Times is a powerful introduction to environmental theories and movements that calls students and teachers alike to think carefully even as it insists on the urgency of our contemporary environmental crisis. What is perhaps most important and refreshing is that Pack provides an illuminating discussion of climate denial and ‘terracide without biophobia’ that is both provocative and informative. These are desperate times indeed, but Environmental Philosophy in Desperate Times provides many of the tools we need to respond to the ongoing devastation all around us thoughtfully, lovingly, and with hope.” — Brandon Absher, D’Youville University

“This book is among the best single-volume introductions to environmental philosophy available today. It is an illuminating resource for both students and experts, and its outstanding feature is the position of honesty, desperation, and urgency it is written from, crystalized in the question Why are we not doing more? Within, one finds not only clear explanations of each of today’s major environmental theories and movements but also a contextualization of this material within an original historical account of the death of the cosmos in the modern Western world—Fan account developed through substantial engagements with Native American, pre-modern, and ecofeminist thought.” — David Baumeister, Seton Hill University

Introduction

Section 1: The Death of the Cosmos

  • Chapter 1: Native American Metaphysics, Epistemology, and Ethics According to Deloria and Wildcat
    • 1.1 Native American Metaphysics
    • 1.2 Native American Epistemology
    • 1.3 Native American Ethics
    • 1.4 Western Metaphysics and Science
    • 1.5 Western Technology
    • 1.6 Deloria’s Claim for the Superiority of Indigenous Traditions
    • 1.7 Questions for Discussion
    • 1.8 Further Reading
  • Chapter 2: The Cosmos in Western Thought
    • 2.1 The Metaphysical Structure of the Cosmos
    • 2.2 Ethics and Human Nature in the Timaean Cosmos
    • 2.3 Contemplate the Cosmos
    • 2.4 The Discovery of the Universe and the Death of the Cosmos
    • 2.5 A New Ethics for a New Universe
    • 2.6 Questions for Discussion
    • 2.7 Further Reading
  • Chapter 3: The Death of Nature
    • 3.1 The World as Organism
    • 3.2 Nature as Female
    • 3.3 Nature as Disorder
    • 3.4 The Mechanical Order
    • 3.5 The Death of Nature
    • 3.6 Progress?
    • 3.7 Questions for Discussion
    • 3.8 Further Reading
  • Chapter 4: Religion and the Environment
    • 4.1 Science vs. Religion
    • 4.2 The Historical Roots of Our Ecological Crisis
    • 4.3 Implications
    • 4.4 Questions for Discussion
    • 4.5 Further Reading

Section 2: Environmental Theories

  • Chapter 5: Deep Ecology
    • 5.1 Against the Dominant Paradigm
    • 5.2 Shallow vs. Deep Ecology
    • 5.3 Going Deeper, Looking for Alternatives
    • 5.4 Principles of Deep Ecology
    • 5.5 Spirituality
    • 5.6 Deep Ecology and Ecocentrism
    • 5.7 Questions for Discussion
    • 5.8 Further Reading
  • Chapter 6: Ecocentrism and the Wilderness Debate
    • 6.1 Aldo Leopold and the Land Ethic
    • 6.2 Ecocentrism
    • 6.3 The Wilderness Debate and the Problem of Colonialism
    • 6.4 Assessing Deep Ecology and Ecocentrism
    • 6.5 Questions for Discussion
    • 6.6 Further Reading
  • Chapter 7: Ecofeminism
    • 7.1 Feminisms
    • 7.2 Standpoint Theory
    • 7.3 Ecofeminism: Against Domination, Toward Care
    • 7.4 Criticisms
    • 7.5 Questions for Discussion
    • 7.6 Further Reading
  • Chapter 8: Bioregionalism
    • 8.1 What Is a Bioregion?
    • 8.2 Dwellers in the Land
    • 8.3 The Politics of Bioregionalism
    • 8.4 Opting Out: Radical Homemaking
    • 8.5 Concerns about Bioregionalism
    • 8.6 Eating and Living Locally
    • 8.7 Questions for Discussion
    • 8.8 Further Reading

Section 3: Environmental Movements

  • Chapter 9: Food Ethics
    • 9.1 Vegetarianism
    • 9.2 The Industrialization of Eating
    • 9.3 Farming and Labor
    • 9.4 CAFOs
    • 9.5 Slow Food
    • 9.6 Intersectionality and Food
    • 9.7 Questions for Discussion
    • 9.8 Further Reading
  • Chapter 10: Animal Liberation and Mass Extinction
    • 10.1 Animal Liberation
    • 10.2 Animal Liberation vs. Environmental Ethics
    • 10.3 Animal Liberation vs. Animal Rights
    • 10.4 The Sixth Mass Extinction
    • 10.5 Questions for Discussion
    • 10.6 Further Reading
  • Chapter 11: The Climate Change Movement
    • 11.1 Antecedents to the Environmental Movement
    • 11.2 The Environmental Movement
    • 11.3 Climate Change
    • 11.4 Getting Involved
    • 11.5 Questions for Discussion
    • 11.6 Further Reading

Section 4: Why Are We Not Doing More?

  • Chapter 12: Climate Denial
    • 12.1 The Issues
    • 12.2 Why Support Cigarette Companies and Oppose Environmental Regulations?
    • 12.3 The Methods of Denial
    • 12.4 From Doubt to Outright Lies
    • 12.5 A Note on Arguing about Reality and Facts
    • 12.6 Against Environmentalism
    • 12.7 Questions for Discussion
    • 12.8 Further Reading
  • Chapter 13: Epistemology of Ignorance and the Environmental Crisis
    • 13.1 Epistemologies of Ignorance
    • 13.2 Terracide without Biophobia
    • 13.3 Questions for Discussion
    • 13.4 Further Reading
  • Chapter 14: Modern Myths: Economism and Progress
    • 14.1 Economism
    • 14.2 The Myth of Progress
    • 14.3 Modern Identity: Freedom, Dignity, and Power
    • 14.4 Questions for Discussion
    • 14.5 Further Reading
  • Chapter 15: Thoughtlessness and the Environmental Crisis
    • 15.1 Arendt on Thinking and Thoughtlessness
    • 15.2 Eichmann
    • 15.3 Milgram’s Shock Box
    • 15.4 Implications for the Environmental Crisis
    • 15.5 Questions for Discussion
    • 15.6 Further Reading
  • Chapter 16: World Alienation and Amor Mundi
    • 16.1 World Alienation
    • 16.2 Overcoming World Alienation: Amor Mundi
    • 16.3 Desperate Times
    • 16.4 Questions for Discussion
    • 16.5 Further Reading

References
Index

Justin Pack teaches philosophy at California State University, Stanislaus.

  • • An impassioned introduction to environmental philosophy
  • • Many perspectives are examined, including traditional western views, as well as Indigenous, feminist, and radical approaches
  • • Examines the epistemic and political obstacles that have slowed our response to climate change, and the methods by which those obstacles can be overcome
  • • Questions for discussion and further reading suggestions are included

Read Chapter 5: Deep Ecology, from Environmental Philosophy in Desperate Times.