Environmental Ethics

Through a carefully selected collection of readings, Environmental Ethics: Foundational Readings, Critical Responses introduces students to the world of philosophy, the nature of ethics, the current deteriorating state of our environment, and the ethical issues and dilemmas surrounding environmental ethics. Featuring a unique dialogical approach, the text places classic, foundational readings and critical responses to those readings in conversation with each other. This structure exposes students to opposing viewpoints and inspires deep reflection and critical thought. Each chapter consists of readings on a central theme, beginning with the Bible and Genesis, addressing Francis Bacon’s philosophy and Lynn White Jr.’s blaming of the environmental crisis on Judeo-Christianity, and concluding with discussions of the Anthropocene. Students read articles that address the exploitation of nature, China’s environmental crisis, the ethics of respect for nature, feminist environmental ethics, modern consumerism, and more. Providing students with a strong foundational knowledge base and encouraging critical thinking, Environmental Ethics is an exemplary text for introductory courses within the field. Joel Jay Kassiola is a professor political science and former college dean at San Francisco State University. He holds M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in political philosophy from Princeton University. Professor Kassiola is the author of The Death of Industrial Civilization and editor of Explorations in Environmental Political Theory. Most recently, he has published scholarly articles in books and journals on China’s environmental crisis and proposed a Confucian Green Theory. One such publication is his co-edited China’s Environmental Crisis: Domestic and Global Political Impacts and Responses.