The.Death.of.Our.Planet's.Species .A.Challenge.To.Ecology.And.Ethics

CONTENTS
1. Introduction: The Basic Problem and Possible Solutions 1
A. Hopes for an “Ecological Solution” 11
I. ECOLOGY AS THE EPITOME OF CONTROLLING NATURE? 13
2. Technical Optimism 13
3. Supposed and Temporary Limits 16
4. Fundamental Limits of Ecology 18
a. Complexity 18
b. Nonlinearity 22
c. Boundaries 25
d. Disturbance and Measurement Distortion 26
e. Uniqueness and Generalization 29
f. Quality and Quantity 33
5. Limits Set by Epistemology and Theory of Science 38
6. Alternative Science? 42
7. Science and Worldviews 44
II. THE SCIENCE OF ECOLOGY AS A NORMATIVE AUTHORITY? 49
8. The Naturalistic Fallacy 49
9. Consequences of Naturalism 52
a. “Ascertaining” Environmental Standards? 52
b. “Ascertaining” What Should be Protected? 53
10. What Do we Mean by “Ecological”? 56
11. A Critique of Guiding Principles of Ecology 60
a. Ecological Equilibrium 60
b. Ecological Stability 66
c. Species Diversity 72
d. Closed Cycles 82
12. Ecological Health? 89
13. Ecologism 97
III. WHAT ECOLOGY HAS TO OFFER 103
14. The Normativistic Fallacy 103
15. “Ecological Thinking” 107
16. Principles of a Change in Attitude 111
17. Questions for Ethics Posed by Ecology 115
B. The Debate about an Ethical Solution 119
18. A Typology of Positions in Environmental Ethics 121
19. The Scope of the Discussion 125
I. A PRAGMATIC APPROACH: IS ANTHROPOCENTRISM SUFFICIENT? 129
20. Species Protection as an Intuitive Postulate 129
21. Anthropocentric Justification for Species Protection 134
22. The Limits of Utility Argumentation 137
a. Economic Arguments 137
b. Ecological Arguments 146
c. Aesthetic Arguments 165
23. Psychological and Sociopsychological Aspects 181
a. How Attitudes toward Nature Are Formed 181
b. Motivational Aspects 187
c. Intuitions of People in Nature Conservation 191
24. Expanding the Scope of Moral Responsibility 196
a. Moving Away from Anthropocentrism 196
b. Considering Nonhuman Interests 199
c. Ethics beyond Interests 203
II. A THEORETICAL APPROACH: CAN HOLISM BE JUSTIFIED? 211
25. Fundamental Objections to Extension 211
a. Opportunistic Theory Choice? 211
b. Is Anthropocentrism Unavoidable? 215
c. Refined Anthropocentrism? 224
26. Regarding the Nature, Claims, and Prerequisites
of Justification 233
27. From an Anthropocentric Worldview to a Holistic One 245
28. Justification for Holistic Ethics 264
a. The Universal Nature of the Moral Standpoint 264
b. Limits to Justification 272
29. Objections from Other Ethical Schools of Thought 275
a. Lack of Reciprocity? 277
b. Lack of Perspective on the Part of the Moral Object? 279
c. Lack of Goal-Directedness? 287
30. Species Protection as a Paradigm of Pluralistic Holism 295
31. Balancing Interests and Dealing with Conflicting Duties 307
32. Conclusions and Prospects 326
33. Notes 335
34. Bibliography 358
35. About the Author 395
36. Index