Environmental Thought

Robin Attfield is Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at Cardiff University. He has taught and carried out research in ethics, philosophy of religion, history of philosophy and environmental philosophy for more than 50 years, and is the author or editor of 15 books and more than 250 articles and chapters.

• Table of contents:Introduction1 Pre-Modern Attitudes and Influences2 Early Modern Reflections3 Darwin and His Successors4 The American Debate5 Foundations of the Science of Ecology6 Further Origins of Conservation7 Early Environmentalism8 Environmental Philosophy and Kindred Studies9 Green Issues and Movements10 The Environmental CrisisConclusionReferencesIndex

"Robin Attfield has established his reputation as a leading philosopher of ecological thought. This textbook is illuminating, critically acute and accessible. It provides an essential background for developing informed intellectual responses to the present ecological crisis."Keith Ward, University of Oxford and Roehampton University"A concise and critical overview of thinking about the environment in Western history. Discussing ideas in philosophy, science, religion, poetry and art, Robin Attfield provides much-needed historical context for contemporary environmental thought."Katie McShane, Colorado State University"Environmental Thought will remain for me a key work of reference, in which I can refresh my memory of some of the many fine gradations of thought and essential details of information it contains for the better understanding of what must surely be the dominant issue of our time."John Freeman, Cardiff University"Poised to offer a wonderful guide to someone just beginning to explore environmental philosophy but curious about its history, or someone looking to design a course on said topic... Whether new to the field or a seasoned environmental philosopher, readers are likely to find something in Attfield's Environmental Thought: A Short History worthy of exploration and reflection."Environmental Values"Attfield's new book shows that he is one of the leading authors in ecological ethics. There is no work on the history of ecological ideas of comparable comprehensiveness, conciseness and readability. It unfolds the richness and continuity of ecological thinking in the history of philosophy, theology and the arts and combines scholarship with a genuine engagement for present-day issues such as biodiversity and climate protection."Dieter Birnbacher, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf"Even young disciplines get older, and thus become entitled to a history. As far as I can see, Robin Attfield's new book is the first history of environmental thought ever written. It discusses its pre-modern roots and early modern reflections, recognizes the enormous importance that Darwin's revolution represents for our understanding of ecology, expounds the creation of an independent discipline called ecology, and traces its connections to the conservationist program, the green movements, and the specific philosophical debates of the present. Being himself a leading environmental philosopher, Attfield is particularly qualified for this excellent overview that will prove very useful to the biologist, the philosopher, and the environmental activist who wants to understand where the origins of their ideas lie."Vittorio G. Hösle, University of Notre Dame"A remarkable source of reviewing environmental thoughts."Studia Ecologiae et Bioethicae