Attfield, Robin (2003) Environmental Ethics: An Overview for the Twenty-First Century, Polity

Review: "An excellent overview of the territory and a compelling account of consequentialism in environmental ethics." James Garvey, author of The Ethics of Climate Change

"Attfield has given us a most comprehensive environmental ethics, indeed the most inclusive, global, cosmopolitan, universal ethic. This is an unexcelled survey and synthesis of the emormous range of challenging issues (and of the literature of their debate), as we, turning the next century and millennium, figure out our human responsibilities toward each other and the larger community of life on Earth. Attfield’s 'biocentric consequentialism' is radical, compelling, urgent." Holmes Rolston III, Colorado State University

Product Description: In this clear, concise and up-to-date introduction to environmental ethics, Robin Attfield guides the student through the key issues and debates in this field in ways that will also be of interest to a wide range of scholars and researchers.

The book introduces environmental problems and environmental ethics and surveys theories of the sources of the problems. Attfield also puts forward his own original contribution to the debates, advocating biocentric consequentialism among theories of normative ethics and defending objectivism in meta-ethics. The possibilities of ethical consumerism and investment are discussed, and the nature and basis of responsibilities for future generations in such areas as sustainable development are given detailed consideration. Attfield adopts an inclusive, cosmopolitan perspective in discussions of global ethics and citizenship, and illustrates his argument with a discussion of global warming.

The text uses a range of devices to aid understanding, such as summaries of key issues, and guides to further reading and relevant websites. It has been written particularly with a view to the needs of students taking courses in environmental ethics, and will be of interest to students and scholars of philosophy, ethics, geography, religion and environmental studies.