The Spirit of the Soil: Agriculture and Environmental Ethics (Environmental Philosophies)

The Spirit of the Soil challenges environmentalists to think more deeply and creatively about agriculture. Paul B. Thompson identifies four `worldviews' which tackle agricultural ethics according to different philosophical priorities; productionism, stewardship, economics and holism. He examines current issues such as the use of pesticides and biotechnology from these ethical perspectives. This book achieves an open-ended account of sustainability designed to minimise hubris and help us to recapture the spirit of the soil. BOOK COVER......Page 1 HALF-TITLE......Page 3 TITLE......Page 4 COPYRIGHT......Page 5 DEDICATION......Page 6 CONTENTS......Page 7 PREFACE......Page 8 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS......Page 10 1 THE ETHICS OF SOIL......Page 12 Agriculture and environmental ethics......Page 14 What philosophers can learn from agriculture......Page 21 What agriculture can learn from environmental ethics......Page 24 Some disclaimers......Page 26 The spirit of the soil......Page 28 2 THE ENVIRONMENTAL CRITICS OF AGRICULTURE......Page 32 The critics of agriculture......Page 33 The critics of pesticide......Page 37 Critics of agricultural biotechnology......Page 43 Environmental ethics and the critics of agriculture......Page 51 Leopold and Schumacher......Page 52 3 THE PRODUCTIONIST PARADIGM......Page 58 The problem of productionism......Page 59 The foundations of productionism......Page 62 Hard work......Page 63 The doctrine of grace......Page 65 The myth of the garden......Page 67 Productionism and industrial agriculture......Page 69 The new productionist paradigm......Page 70 Virtue, industry, and productivity......Page 77 4 AGRICULTURAL STEWARDSHIP AND THE GOOD FARMER......Page 82 Agrarian stewardship......Page 83 Wendell Berry’s interpretation of agrarian stewardship......Page 87 Problems with agricultural stewardship......Page 92 Stewardship and environmental ethics......Page 98 5 CALCULATING THE TRUE COST OF FOOD......Page 104 Positive economics and environmental impact......Page 105 Problems with positive economics......Page 111 Economic ethics and the argument from efficiency......Page 114 The case against efficiency......Page 117 Externalities and the true cost of food......Page 120 Externalities and the great economy......Page 123 6 THE HOLISTIC ALTERNATIVE......Page 128 Alan Savory......Page 130 Wes Jackson......Page 133 J.Baird Callicott......Page 135 Against reductionism......Page 138 The systems alternative......Page 145 The holistic alternative: does it work?......Page 151 7 SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE......Page 156 Sustainability as a system-describing concept......Page 162 Sustainability as a goal-describing concept......Page 166 Sustainability as an add-on......Page 169 Sustainability as intrinsic value......Page 170 Dicta on sustainable food systems......Page 172 Sustainability and bliss......Page 175 NOTES......Page 182 BIBLIOGRAPHY......Page 190 INDEX......Page 204 The Spirit Of The Soil Examines Environmental Problems In Industrial Agriculture And Challenges Environmentalists To Think More Deeply About The Ethical Dimensions Of Agriculture's Impact On The Environment. Professor Thompson Considers Environmental Problems In Industrial Agriculture, Such As The Use Of Chemical Pesticides And Biotechnology, From An Ethical Perspective. He Compares Four 'world Views' - Productionism, Stewardship, Economics, And Holism - Which Frame These Issues And The Potential Response To Them According To Different Philosophical Priorities. All Four Are Found To Have Their Inadequacies. Thompson Concludes His Analysis With An Open-ended And Necessarily Incomplete Formulation Of Sustainability As The Key Goal For Recapturing The Spirit Of The Soil. He Provides Discussion Of Works By Baird Callicott, Wendell Berry, Wes Jackson, And Alan Savory, And Reviews The Potential Of Conventional Environmental Ethics And Resource Economics. 1. The Ethics Of Soil -- 2. The Environmental Critics Of Agriculture -- 3. The Productionist Paradigm -- 4. Agricultural Stewardship And The Good Farmer -- 5. Calculating The True Cost Of Food -- 6. The Holistic Alternative -- 7. Sustainable Agriculture. Paul B. Thompson. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 180-192) And Index. "The Spirit of the Soil examines environmental problems in industrial agriculture and challenges environmentalists to think more deeply about the ethical dimensions of agriculture's impact on the environment. Professor Thompson considers environmental problems in industrial agriculture, such as the use of chemical pesticides and biotechnology, from an ethical perspective. He compares four 'world views' - productionism, stewardship, economics, and holism - which frame these issues and the potential response to them according to different philosophical priorities. All four are found to have their inadequacies." "Thompson concludes his analysis with an open-ended and necessarily incomplete formulation of sustainability as the key goal for recapturing the spirit of the soil. He provides discussion of works by Baird Callicott, Wendell Berry, Wes Jackson, and Alan Savory, and reviews the potential of conventional environmental ethics and resource economics."--Jacket In one sense, nothing could be more obvious than agriculture's importance for environmental quality.