Book review essay: Perspectives on environmental ethics

Abstract

Most introductory texts in environmental ethics (and philosophy in general) are anthologies, and there are advantages to this approach. No philosopher is an expert on all aspects of the field, especially if practical concerns such as climate change, population, biodiversity and globalization are addressed. Moreover, if a course is taught by a single professor, an anthology exposes students to different positions on controversial topics written by their advocates, not merely mediated through the professor’s worldview. Another advantage is that students have to grapple with challenging material that was written for professionals and academics, not just students.