| Popis: |
Understanding the Land Ethic presents a philosophical understanding of the land ethic. The original "Land Ethic," by Aldo Leopold, is explicated, its ethical pedigree examined, and the revisions supplied by the contemporary environmental ethicist, J. Baird Callicott, articulated. A critique of the land ethic, as it is presented here, is based on the problems of subjectivity, the nature of ecological understanding, and inconsistency. These critiques lead to a further revision of the land ethic, found within this text. The land ethic is applied to a tract of land in the Oxford Community Park, so as to provide an example of how it can function. Finally, the land ethic is revealed as a type of virtue ethic, one that promotes responsibility for the natural environment. Throughout the three chapters of this thesis, an enhanced understanding of the land ethic is promoted, and a valuable component of ethical consideration is scrutinized. |
