Coevolutionary Economics: The Economy, Society and the Environment (Natural Resource Management and Policy, 5)

The subject of this volume is the human economy and its coevolutionary relationship with the natural world. This relationship is examined in three broad types of societies; hunter—gatherers, agriculturalists, and modern market economies. A growing body of scientific evidence has made it clear that the current human impact on the environment is far above the level that can be maintained without causing profound changes in the biophysical world to which we belong. The new fields of ecological economics and evolutionary economics can help us understand the relationship between the economy, society and the environment and may help us to formulate effective policies to manage these changes. Front Matter....Pages i-xv The Economy, Economics and the Environment....Pages 1-25 The Bioethics of Hunting and Gathering Societies....Pages 27-49 Equality and Environmental Sustainability in Agricultural Societies....Pages 51-76 Markets, Property Rights, and Biodiversity....Pages 77-102 Evolutionary Theory and Economic Theory....Pages 103-129 Selection and Coevolution in Industrial Economies....Pages 131-154 Economic Growth Versus the Environment....Pages 155-175 Progress, Economy and Environment: Toward a Declining State....Pages 177-201 Back Matter....Pages 203-246