Recognizing the Autonomy of Nature: Theory and Practice

by Thomas Heyd

Overview

How do the ways in which we think about and describe nature shape the use and protection of the environment? Do our seemingly well-intentioned efforts in environmental conservation reflect a respect for nature or our desire to control nature's wildness? The contributors to this collection address these and other questions as they explore the theoretical and practical implications of a crucial aspect of environmental philosophy and policy-the autonomy of nature. In focusing on the recognition and meaning of nature's autonomy and linking issues of metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and policy, the essays provide a variety of new perspectives on human relationships to nature.

The authors begin by exploring what is meant by "nature," in what sense it can be seen as autonomous, and what respect for the autonomy of nature might entail. They examine the conflicts that arise between the satisfaction of human needs (food, shelter, etc.) and the natural world. The contributors also consider whether the activities of human beings contribute to nature's autonomy. In their investigation of these issues, they not only draw on philosophy and ethics; they also discuss how the idea of nature's autonomy affects policy decisions regarding the protection of agricultural, rural, and beach areas.

The essays in the book's final section turn to management and restoration practices. The essays in this section pay close attention to how efforts at environmental protection alter or reinforce the traditional relationship between humans and nature. More specifically, the contributors examine whether management practices, as they are applied in nature conservation, actually promote the autonomy of nature, or whether they turn the environment into a "client" for policymakers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780231136068
Publisher:	Columbia University Press
Publication date:	11/09/2005
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	232
Sales rank:	338,253
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Thomas Heyd teaches philosophy at the University of Victoria in British Columbia. He is the coeditor (with John Clegg) of Aesthetics and Rock Art.

Table of Contents

Preface and Acknowledgments
1. Introduction: Recognizing the Autonomy of Nature: Theory and Practice, by Thomas Heyd
Part I. Nature and Autonomy of Nature: Are They Real?
2. Toward a Progressive Naturalism, by Val Plumwood
3. Is Nature Autonomous?, by Keekok Lee
Part II. Autonomous Nature and Human Interests: Are They Compatible?
4. The Liberation of Humanity and Nature, by Eric Katz
5. Respecting Nature's Autonomy in Relationship with Humanity, by Ned Hettinger
6. Autonomy and Agriculture, by William Throop and Beth Vickers
Part III. Management, Restoration, and the Autonomy of Nature: A Paradox?
7. Homo Administrator: Managing a Needy Nature?, by Dean Bavington
8. Purple Loosestrife and the "Bounding" of Nature in North American Wetlands, by John Sandlos
9. Restoration, Autonomy, and Domination, by Andrew Light
10. Ecological Restoration and the Renewal of Wildness and Freedom, by Mark Woods
11. Conclusion: Autonomy, Restoration, and the Law of Nature, by William R. Jordan III
List of Contributors
Index

What People are Saying About This

Holmes Rolston III

Today we humans jeopardize the 'autonomy of nature' as never before in the history of the earth. This anthology confronts that urgent issue head-on, with rigor and intensity. Can and ought we respect and conserve the integrity of nature? Will this complement or compromise our own human welfare? Is human culture replacing autonomous wild nature? Here is a seminal contribution to the most vital question we face.

— Holmes Rolston III, Colorado State University, author of Genes, Genesis, and God: Values and Their Origins in Natural and Human History

Donald Worster

We desperately need a well-reasoned defense of nature for its own sake, as we gallop toward mass species extinction and further environmental decline-and here it is. Each essay in this book shows, in clear language and with concrete examples, why mindless domination and exploitation must give way to respect for the other-than-human world. This is the best book of environmental philosophy and ethics I have read in a long while.

— Donald Worster, University of Kansas, author of A River Running West: The Life of John Wesley Powell

Editorial Reviews

I recommend the book to anyone interested in environmental philosophy or concerned with understanding environmental problems.

Human Ecology - Steven Vogel

An excellent introduction to the topic... Highly recommended.

Choice

I recommend the book to anyone interested in environmental philosophy or concerned with understanding environmental problems.

— Steven Vogel

Human Ecology