Practical Ecology and Foundations for Environmental Ethics
Author(s)
Shrader-Frechette, Kristin
Abstract
In doing environmental ethics, many persons follow “soft ecology” and use inspiration rather than argument, preaching rather than careful case studies, and intuition rather than second–and higher-order ethical analyses that are capable of adjudicating environmental controversies. Or they follow “hard ecology” and search for general ecological theories rather than modest rules and concepts that are operable and applicable. The essay argues that the science necessary to undergird sound environmental ethics requires that we avoid the extremes of either soft or hard ecology. Sound environmental ethics, at least at present, requires a “practical ecology” based primarily on case studies, natural history, and rules of thumb.
