The Oxford Handbook of Environmental Ethics

Stephen M. Gardiner is Professor of Philosophy and Ben Rabinowitz Endowed Professor of the Human Dimensions of the Environment at the University of Washington, Seattle. He is the author of A Perfect Moral Storm (Oxford, 2011), co-author of Debating Climate Ethics (Oxford, 2016), editor of Virtue Ethics, Old and New (Cornell, 2005), and co-editor of Climate Ethics: Essential Readings (Oxford, 2010). His research focuses on global environmental problems, future generations and virtue ethics.


Allen Thompson is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon, and a Fellow with the Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society at Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich, Germany. He is co-editor of Ethical Adaptation to Climate Change: Human Virtues of the Future (MIT, 2012) and serves as an officer for the International Society for Environmental Ethics (Treasurer 2013-2015, Vice-President 2016-2018, and President 2019-2021).

The Contributors

1. Introducing Contemporary Environmental Ethics Allen Thompson and Stephen M. Gardiner

Part I. Context: Broad social contexts in which we find ourselves
2. A History of Environmental Ethics Jason Kawall
3. Environmental Science: Empirical Claims in Environmental Ethics Wendy Parker
4. Markets, Ethics, and Environment John O'Neill
5. Law, Governance, and the Ecological Ethos Daniel Butt
6. The Anthropocene! Beyond the Natural?? Holmes Rolston, III

Part II. Subjects of Value: What ought to count morally and how
7. Anthropocentrism: Humanity as Peril and Promise Allen Thompson
8. Conscious Animals and the Value of Experience Lori Gruen
9. Living Individuals: Biocentrism in Environmental Ethics Clare Palmer
10. How Ecological Collectives are Morally Considerable J. Baird Callicott
11. Valuing Wild Nature Philip Cafaro

Part III. Nature of Value: The meaning of value and normative claims
12. Truth and Goodness: Metaethics in Environmental Ethics Katie McShane
13. Practical Reasons and Environmental Commitment Alan Holland
14. Environmental Hermeneutics and the Meaning of Nature Martin Drenthen
15. Phenomenology and Environmental Ethics Ted Toadvine
16. Aesthetic Value, Nature, and Environment Emily Brady

Part IV. How Things Matter: Theoretical perspectives on the way we ought to act
17. Consequentialism in Environmental Ethics Avram Hiller
18. Rights, Rules, and Respect for Nature Benjamin Hale
19. Environmental Virtue Ethics: Value, Normativity, and Right Action Ronald Sandler
20. Ethics of Caring in Environmental Ethics: Indigenous and Feminist Philosophies
Kyle Powys Whyte and Chris Cuomo
21. The Sacred, Reverence for Life, and Environmental Ethics in America Bron Taylor

Part V. Key Concepts: Tools for framing and addressing problems
22. Individual and Contributory Responsibility for Environmental Harm Kenneth Shockley
23. Justice on One Planet Derek Bell
24. Sexual Politics in Environmental Ethics: Impacts, Causes, Alternatives Chris Cuomo
25. Human Rights and the Environment Steve Vanderheiden
26. Ecological Space: The Concept and Its Ethical Significance Tim Hayward
27. Risk and Precaution in Decision Making about Nature Jonathan Aldred
28. Citizenship and (Un)Sustainability: A Green Republican Perspective John Barry
29. Future Generations in Environmental Ethics John Nolt
30. Sustainability as the Multigenerational Public Interest Bryan G. Norton


Part VI. Central Issues: Specific areas of environmental concern
31. The Ethics of Environmental Pollution Kevin Elliott
32. Population and Environment : The Impossible, the Impermissible, and the Imperative Elizabeth Cripps
33. Ethical Energy Choices Kristin Shrader- Frechette
34. Narratives of Food, Agriculture, and the Environment David Kaplan
35. Water Ethics: Toward Ecological Cooperation Angela Kallhoff
36. Anthropogenic Mass Extinction: The Science, the Ethics, and the Civics
Jeremy David Bendik- Keymer and Chris Haufe
37. Philosophy of Technology and the Environment Paul B. Thompson
38. The Ethics of Ecosystem Management Marion Hourdequin

Part VII. Climate Change: The defining environmental problem of our time
39. Mitigation: First Imperative of Environmental Ethics Henry Shue
40. Ethics and Climate Adaptation Clare Heyward
41. Climate Diplomacy Andrew Light
42. Geoengineering: Ethical Questions for Deliberate Climate Manipulators Stephen M. Gardiner

Part VIII. Social Change: Doing what we ought to do
43. Environmental Conflict David Schmidtz
44. Environmental Ethics, Sustainability Science, and the Recovery of Pragmatism Ben A. Minteer
45. Sacrifice and the Possibilities for Environmental Action John M. Meyer
46. From Environmental Ethics to Environmental Action Avner de Shalit

Index