Ecologism

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  • Created by: Tori
  • Created on: 11-05-13 19:12
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  • Ecologism
    • In the 21st Century
      • Growing success arguments
        • Environmental Crisis has raised awareness and so upped intensity of the movment
          • Global warming, climate change, reduced male fertility due to pollution, extinction etc
        • Single-issue green parties unsuccessful, BUT, perhaps due to adoption of green strategies by mainstream parties
        • Don't have to be members of green parties; regular public initiate green behaviour
          • recycling, organic foods etc.
        • Green movements joining anti-globalisation movements to increase force and strength, as well as using media priminence
      • Problems/long-term limitations
        • Sustainable growth/zero tolerance is electorally  unattractive so parties may not adopt it
        • Debatable as to whether can ever be a truly global phenomenon; unfair to ask developing world to halt development and growth
          • Likewise, the prosperous Western states would be reluctant to adopt strategies that would make them forgo the prosperity enjoyed in terms of energy consumption
            • US and China
          • Consider Maslow's 'hierarchy of needs' -- why should they concern themselves with ecologism when basic needs of growth not being allowed/met?
        • Might be post-industrial Romanticism that is just a whim which will fade away in time - restricted to young and affluent currently
        • The philosophy of deep ecologism is alien to the culture of time
    • Definitions
      • relationship between living things and their environments
      • Politically it is based on the belief that nature is an interconnected whole; embracing humans and non-humans, plus the inanimate world
    • Key Dichotomies
      • Shallow (environmental) ecologism -- lessons of nature and ecology to apply to humans and their needs
      • Deep ecology -- rejects any sense of anthropocentrism
      • Sub-tradition tensions
    • Origins
      • Green movement emerged in the 1960s
      • Principles, however, relate back to Paganism with the concept of Earth Mother. Also Hinduism, Buddhism and taoism - eastern religious ideas
      • Origins can also be seen as a reaction to industrialisation in C19 - was a wish to return to an idealised rural life
        • Hardy and Morris celebrated rural life and opposed urbanisation
        • 'back to nature' - an example of 'pastoralism' which celebrates the peasant life as honourable and pure
      • Often a movement associated with young people as a reaction against urbanisation brought by prior generation
      • Post-materialism: the rejection of goods and wealth in favour of more spiritual values
      • Recently, fear of global-warming etc developed reactionary ecologism. Has become a 'global political issue'
        • UN World COmmission on environment and Development since 1972
        • Kyoto Protocol (1997) - committed to developed countries limiting greenhouse emissions

Comments

Old Sir

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This is a very useful overview which covers the essential philosophical roots and raises many of the fundamental issues that students might wish to investigate in greater detail in order to appreciate various arguments and address assessment objective 2, (evaluation and analysis).

JackRichard

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I believe that the topic of ecology should be covered much more today. What do you think?

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