In this thoroughly revised and updated second edition the author shows that a new and truly ecological ethic is both possible and urgently needed. With this distinctive proposition in mind, he introduces and discusses all the major concepts needed to understand the full range of ecological ethics. He discusses light green or anthropocentric ethics with the examples of stewardship, lifeboat ethics, and social ecology; the mid-green or intermediate ethics of animal liberation/rights; and dark or deep green ecocentric ethics. Particular attention is given to the Land Ethic, the Gaia Hypothesis and Deep Ecology and its offshoots: Deep Green Theory, Left Biocentrism and the Earth Manifesto. Ecofeminism is also considered and attention is paid to the close relationship between ecocentrism and virtue ethics. Other chapters discuss green ethics as post-secular, moral pluralism and pragmatism, green citizenship, and human population in the light of ecological ethics. In this new edition, all these have been updated and joined by discussions of climate change, sustainable economies, education, and food from an ecocentric perspective. This book offers a radical but critical introduction to the subject which puts ecocentrism and the critique of anthropocentrism back at the top of the ethical, intellectual and political agenda.
Introduction: This book ; An initial example ; Looking ahead ; Value and nature ; Ethics and grub ; What's new? ; Transparency and responsibility -- The earth in crisis: The signs ; Analysing ecocrisis ; Science and technology -- Ethics: What is ethics? ; Realism vs. relativism ; The naturalistic fallacy ; Religious ethics ; Secular ethics -- Three schools of ethics: Deontology ('rights') ; Consequentialism ('effects') ; Virtue ethics ; A green virtue ethic -- Value: Some issues ; Anthropocentrism ; Ecocentrism -- Light green or shallow (anthropocentric) ethics: What is a light green ethic? ; Environmentalism ; Lifeboat ethics -- Mid-green or intermediate ethics: Animal liberation ; Animal rights ; Biocentrism ; Animals and us ; Wild animals ; Domestic animals ; On (not) eating animals : the options -- Dark green or deep (ecocentric) ethics: A suggested definition ; The land ethic ; Gaia theory ; Deep ecology ; Deep green theory ; Left biocentrism ; Ecocentrism and the Left ; The Earth manifesto ; The Earth charter -- Ecofeminism: A master mentality ; Ecofeminism in action ; Ecofeminism and ethics -- Deep green ethics as post-secular: Dogmatic secularism ; An ecocentric spirituality ; Animism ; Green Buddhism? -- Moral pluralism and pragmatism: The poverty of monism ; The consequences of pluralism ; Multicentrism -- Green citizenship and education: Making it real ; A long revolution ; Ecological education ; Traditional ecological knowledge ; Ecological Republicanism ; A note on wisdom -- Grounding ecological ethics: The food system ; On Malthus ; Climate change ; Wind power and energy ; Nuclear energy ; Geo-engineering ; Carbon trading and ecosystem service : the new gods of the market ; Sustainability ; The limits to growth ; A left ecocentric guide to capitalism ; Alternatives ; Movements in the right direction -- Human overpopulation: The problem ; Analysing overpolulation ; Taking on the arguments ; Climate change again ; Overpopulation and ecocentrism ; -- Postscript.