The Philosophy of Ecology: From Science to Synthesis

Rating:
Summary: Perspectives Emerging
Review: It may come as a surprise to many who first encounter this book that the science of ecology might have anything to contribute to philosophy in general -- this, despite the fact that popular notions of ecology are in the forefront of the search for new directions, be they in the guise of the "Deep Ecology" of Arne Naess, or the "Web of Life" advanced by Frijthof Capra. But scientific perspectives unique to ecology are arising, and making connections between ecological outlooks and how nature generally is perceived is the primary goal of this book -- as stated in its subtitle.

No dominant ecological perspective has yet emerged, but Keller and Golley do an excellent job of sampling the various issues. For example, Part One includes five papers that take sides on whether one should emphasize the entities in ecosystems (the Eleatic approach) or concentrate on the processes that are occurring (the Milesian stance.) Part Three presents the debate between the rational and the empirical approaches to ecology; Part Four between reductionism and holism; and the final section gives consideration to what ties (if any) should exist between contemporary evolutionary theory and ecosystems science.

I have used the volume (in early manuscript form) as the primary text for a graduate seminar I taught last year on "Philosophical Issues in Ecology" at the University of Maryland. Most students in the seminar were amazed to discover that philosophical issues have a history within the scientific practice of ecology, and they found the chapters of the book to be well- chosen illustrations of the various attitudes now vying for a permanent place in the evolving philosophy of ecology.

I was quite impressed by how the editors were able to winnow down the component papers to their most essential elements and by how the publisher was able to put this volume on the street at a price that is affordable to the typical graduate student. I foresee a significant potential for this compendium as a textbook and as a catalyst for initiating productive debate on issues that address not only ancient philosophical abstractions, but affect our attitudes towards urgent contemporary problems as well.