The Ethics of Environmental Concern

Examining traditional attitudes toward nature and the degree to which these attitudes enable people to cope with modern ecological problems, Robin Attfield looks particularly at the Judaeo-Christian heritage of belief in man's dominion, the tradition of stewardship, and the more recent belief in progress to determine the extent to which these attitudes underlie ecological problems and how far they embody resources adequate for combatting such problems. He then examines concerns of applied ethics and considers our obligations to future generations, the value of life and the moral standing and significance of non-humans. Simultaneously, he offers and defends a theory of moral principles appropriate for dealing with such concerns as pollution, scarce natural resources, population growth and the conservation and preservation of the enviroment. This second edition includes a new preface and introduction, as well as a bibliographic essay and an updated list of references incorporating relevant scholarship since the publication of the first edition.