John Dewey and Environmental Philosophy / Edition 1

by Hugh P. McDonald

Overview

Hugh P. McDonald's John Dewey and Environmental Philosophy breaks new ground by applying Dewey's insights to a new approach to philosophy of the environment; the concern for the rights of animals; the preservation of rare species, habitats, and landscapes; and the health of the whole ecology. The book summarizes much of the current literature on environmental ethics, concentrating on the writings of major figures in the movement: Tom Regan, J. Baird Callicott, Holmes Rolston, and Bryan Norton. The heart of the book consists of a detailed analysis of Dewey's ethics, his theory of intrinsic value, and his holistic approach to moral justification. Arguing against the idea that Dewey's philosophy is anthropocentric, McDonald makes a strong case that using Dewey's philosophy will result in a superior framework for environmental ethics.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780791458747
Publisher:	State University of New York Press
Publication date:	11/20/2003
Series:	SUNY series in Environmental Philosophy and Ethics
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	247
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Hugh P. McDonald teaches philosophy at New York City College of Technology (CUNY). He is the author of Political Philosophy and Ideology: A Critique of Political Essentialism.

Table of Contents

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

PREFACE

1. Environmental Ethics and Intrinsic Value

PROLOGUE TO CHAPTER TWO

The Setting of the Problem of Pragmatism and the Environment: The Critique of Pragmatism as an Environmental Ethics in Taylor, Bowers, Katz, and Weston

2. Dewey's Naturalism

3. Dewey's Instrumentalism

4. Dewey's (Moral) Holism

5. Dewey's Ethics as a Basis for Environmental Issues

EPILOGUE: Pragmatism and Environmental Ethics

NOTES

BIBLIOGRAPHY

INDEX

Editorial Reviews

"McDonald displays a deep understanding of Dewey's philosophy and skillfully and imaginatively builds convincing arguments on Dewey's behalf."

From the Publisher