The Agrarian Vision: Sustainability and Environmental Ethics

Paul B. Thompson

University Press of Kentucky, Jul 7, 2010 - Nature - 323 pages

As industry and technology proliferate in modern society, sustainability has jumped to the forefront of contemporary political and environmental discussions. The balance between progress and the earth's ability to provide for its inhabitants grows increasingly precarious as we attempt to achieve sustainable development.

In The Agrarian Vision: Sustainability and Environmental Ethics, Paul B. Thompson articulates a new agrarian philosophy, emphasizing the vital role of agrarianism in modern agricultural practices. Thompson, a highly regarded voice in environmental philosophy, unites concepts of agrarian philosophy, political theory, and environmental ethics to illustrate the importance of creating and maintaining environmentally conscious communities. Thompson describes the evolution of agrarian values in America, following the path blazed by Thomas Jefferson, John Steinbeck, and Wendell Berry.

Providing a pragmatic approach to ecological responsibility and commitment, The Agrarian Vision is a significant, compelling argument for the practice of a reconfigured and expanded agrarianism in our efforts to support modern industrialized culture while also preserving the natural world.

Contents

• Introduction: 1
• Sustainability and Environmental Philosophy: 18
• The Philosophy of Farming in America: 42
• Political Values and the Future of US Agriculture: 62
• The Moral Significance of Land: 87
• Farming as a Focal Practice: 111
• Food and Community: 136
• Why Philosophy Matters for Agricultural Policy: 155
• Sustainability and the Social Goals of Agriculture: 175
• The Road to Sustainability: 196
• Sustainability as a Norm: 215
• Sustainability: 234
• Sustainability Social Movements and Hope: 256
• Conclusion: 277
• Notes: 293
• References: 301
• Index: 319
• Back Cover: 325

About the author

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Paul B. Thompson, the W. K. Kellogg Chair in Agricultural, Food, and Community Ethics at Michigan State University, is the author of numerous books including The Spirit of the Soil: Agriculture and Environmental Ethics. He lives in Lansing, Michigan.

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Agrarian Vision: Sustainability and Environmental Ethics; Culture of the Land: A Series in the New Agrarianism; Culture of the land
• Author: Paul B. Thompson
• Edition: illustrated
• Publisher: University Press of Kentucky, 2010
• ISBN: 0813125871, 9780813125879
• Length: 323 pages
• Subjects: Nature / Environmental Conservation & Protection