Environmental Thought

'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 '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 Dusseldorf '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. Hoesle, University of Notre Dame