Environmental Ethics

In the newly revised Third Edition of Environmental Ethics, internationally renowned philosopher Michael Boylan delivers another accessible introduction for students new to ethics, and an invaluable reference for scholars of all levels. The anthology includes important essays, both established and contemporary, as well as eight brand-new contributions commissioned specifically for this edition. This new material is the foundation for students' understanding of the most recent ethical debates on the environment and humanity's place within it.

The balanced combination of new material on recent developments in the field and well-known, foundational articles appears alongside helpful pedagogical materials, including case studies and sample questions. The book brings students up to speed on all the main themes in the area, including worldview arguments for environmentalism, the anthropocentric vs. biocentric debate, and a variety of applied environmental problems. Environmental Ethics also offers:

• A thorough introduction to the theoretical background of environmental ethics, including discussions of ethical reasoning, nature, and the tragedy of the commons
• Comprehensive explorations of eco-feminism and social justice, aesthetics, and deep ecology
• Practical discussions of anthropocentric and biocentric justifications in environmental ethics
• In-depth examinations of applied environmental problems, including climate change, animal rights, sustainability, and public policy

Perfect for undergraduate and graduate students studying topics in ethics, the environment, law, and policy, Environmental Ethics will also earn a place in the libraries of philosophers with an interest in applied or environmental ethics, and industry consultants to ecologists, environmental scientists, or environmental policymakers.

Notes on Contributors xi

Preface to the Third Edition xiii

Source Credits xvi

Companion Website xviii

Part I Theoretical Background 1

1 Ethical Reasoning 3
Michael Boylan

2 What is ‘Nature,’ and Why Should We Care? 15
Michael Boylan

3 The Tragedy of the Commons 35
Garrett Hardin

4 Worldview Arguments for Environmentalism 48

A. The Land Ethic and Deep Ecology 51

The Land Ethic 51
Aldo Leopold

The Shallow and the Deep, Long-Range Ecology Movement: A Summary 58
Arne Naess

What Social Ecology? 63
Murray Bookchin

B. Eco-Feminism and Social Justice 75

Ecofeminism and Feminist Theory 75
Carolyn Merchant

The Power and the Promise of Ecological Feminism 81
Karen J. Warren

Patently Wrong: The Commercialization of Life Forms 89
Wanda Teays

C. Aesthetics 101

Aesthetics and the Value of Nature 101
Janna Thompson

Worldview and the Value-Duty Link to Environmental Ethics 114
Michael Boylan

5 Anthropocentric Versus Biocentric Justifications 130

A. Anthropocentric Justifications 133

Human Rights and Future Generations 133
Alan Gewirth

Environmental Values, Anthropocentrism and Speciesism 137
Onora O’Neill

B. Biocentric Justifications 151

Environmental Ethics: Values in and Duties to the Natural World 151
Holmes Rolston III

Respect for Nature: A Theory of Environmental Ethics 169
Paul W. Taylor

C. Searching the Middle 180

Reconciling Anthropocentric and Nonanthropocentric Environmental Ethics 180
James P. Sterba

On the Reconciliation of Anthropocentric and Nonanthropocentric Environmental Ethics 194
Brian K. Steverson

Reconciliation Reaffirmed: A Reply to Steverson 205
James P. Sterba

Part II Applied Environmental Problems 211

6 Pollution and Climate Change 213

A. Air and Water Pollution 215

Blue Water 215
Michael Boylan

Polluting and Unpolluting 228
Benjamin Hale

Moral Valuation of Environmental Goods 243
Mark A. Seabright

B. Climate Change 256

Does a Failure in Global Leadership Mean it’s All Over? Climate, Population, and Progress 256
Ruth Irwin

Collective Responsibility and Climate Change 271
Seumas Miller

7 Animal Rights 283

All Animals are Equal 285
Peter Singer

The Radical Egalitarian Case for Animal Rights 300
Tom Regan

A Critique of Regan’s Animal Rights Theory 309
Mary Anne Warren

Mary Anne Warren and “Duties to Animals” 317
Michael Boylan

Against Zoos 322
Dale Jamieson

8 Sustainability 332

A. Sustainability: What it is and How it Works 334

Defining Sustainability Ethic 334
Randall Curren

A Perfect Moral Storm: Climate Change, Intergenerational Ethics, and the Problem of Moral Corruption 349
Stephen M. Gardiner

Sustainability and Adaptation: Environmental Values and the Future 362
Bryan G. Norton

B. Sustainability and Development 375

‘Sustainable Development’: Is it a Useful Concept? 375
Wilfred Beckerman

On Wilfred Beckerman’s Critique of Sustainable Development 391
Herman E. Daly

Globalizing Responsibility for Climate Change 398
Steve Vanderheiden

9 Public Policy, Activism, and Technology: The Cold and Tragic Logic of Climate Change Denial 414
Michael Goldsby

The A, B, Cs of Social Activism: My Journey 423
Barbara Wien

International Public Policy on Environmental Regulation 435
Carl Joachim Kock

What About the Coal Miners? Addressing the Downside of Effective Environmental Policies 450
Frederick Bird

Electricity 461
Geert Demuijnck

Technology and the Environment: From Bones to Markets 471
David E. McClean

Rising Above the Rising Seas 486
Avery Kolers

Michael Boylan is Professor of Philosophy at Marymount University. He has authored 39 books and over 150 journal articles and book chapters, has served on numerous professional and governmental policy committees, and was a Fellow at the Center for American Progress. He has been invited to speak at universities in fifteen countries on five continents around the world, including Oxford, Cambridge, Cologne, and more.

“This collection of essays on environmental ethics is invaluable. It contains not just the classic ground-breaking essays on the land ethic, on shallow and deep ecology, and on socialist and feminist approaches to the environment (by Leopold, Naess, Bookchin, Merchant and others), but also up-to-the-minute essays on key issues, including anthropocentrism and speciesism and the rights of future generations, as well as reviewing the arguments around climate change. This book is essential reading for anyone wanting to sharpen their moral awareness in addressing the global environmental crisis.”
—Dermot Moran, University College Dublin

“Boylan combines provocative readings on animals, environment and sustainability, with object lessons in how to think clearly about tricky cases. A neat feature of the book is the way in which the cases are deftly woven into the structure of the collection. The result is a hands-on guide on how to think clearly about some of the baffling issues in environmental ethics.”
—Andrew Brennan, La Trobe University

The newly revised Third Edition of Environmental Ethics adds 8 brand-new contributions from leading and emerging scholars and updated pedagogical features that help students new to environmental ethics get a firm grasp on the main themes in this vibrant and practical area of study.

A combination of established, foundational essays, insightful new contributions, and thought-provoking editorial content grounds students’ understanding of the ethical dimensions of the environment and the place that human beings occupy within it. Thorough discussions of the theoretical background of environmental ethics, including worldview arguments for environmentalism and the anthropocentric vs. biocentric justification debate, precede examinations of applied environmental problems, like climate change and animal rights.

The gold standard in introductory environmental ethics anthologies, Environmental Ethics delivers a uniquely informative and engaging approach to the seemingly intractable environmental problems humanity presently faces. It is the ideal resource for graduate and undergraduate students taking courses in ethics, the environment, law, and policy. It’s also a must-read for industry consultants to ecologists, environmental scientists, and environmental policymakers.