The Agrarian Vision: Sustainability and Environmental Ethics

Front Cover

Sustainability and Environmental Ethics Paul B. Thompson AGRICULTURE “Paul Thompson has truly been an inspiration and mentor to all of us interested in ethics and agriculture. His many publications have provided a unique contribution to the history of American thought. This work on agrarianism provides us with yet another stellar analysis of an important ethical issue. The agrarian philosophy which Thompson articulates in this new analysis, probably his best book yet, provides us with a fresh, pragmatic approach to fulfilling our ecological responsibility whether we are farmers, policy makers, or eaters.” —Frederick L. Kirschenmann, Distinguished Fellow, Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Iowa State University, and president of the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture “Thompson shows the centrality of agriculture and its communities not just to our livelihood, health, and security, but to the beauty and sense of place that unites us historically and politically. With this book he brings all the power of analytic philosophy to environmental ethics.” — Mark Sagoff, director of the Institute for Philosophy and Public Policy at the University of Maryland and author of The Economy of the Earth: Philosophy, Law, and the Environment “ A valuable and important synthesis of Thompson’s pioneering work in the philosophy of agriculture and the environment. This book makes a compelling case for the vitality of the agrarian tradition and its role in the search for sustainability in the twenty-first century.” —Ben A. Minteer, author of The Landscape of Reform: Civic Pragmatism and Environmental Thought in America “The Agrarian Vision takes us beyond the virtues of human-scale agriculture to examine the ethics of food linked to agricultural production. By enlarging his focus to food, Thompson illuminates the linkages between food and agriculture, rather than agriculture as a source of industrial inputs. By doing this, he deepens the discussion on sustainability to include the normative frame of agrarianism. Brilliantly written, The Agrarian Vision is a must read for those involved in the many strains of the sustainable movement.” —Cornelia Butler Flora, coauthor of Rural Communities: Legacy and Change Culture of the Land: A Series in the New Agrarianism Series Editor: Norman Wirzba Our growing dependence on fossil fuels, the effects of a global economic recession, and the simultaneous presence of global hunger and diseases of obesity suggest that the health of our planet is in danger. Going green and eating organic foods are recent trends aimed at decreasing destruction of the environment and reversing existing damage. The Agrarian Vision: Sustainability and Environmental Ethics explores the significance of agrarian philosophy for our transition to a sustainable society. While sustainability remains a national and global concern, many environmentally conscious individuals still do not recognize their fundamental connection to agrarian ideals. The Agrarian Vision strives to alter that perception, particularly in the United States. Paul B. Thompson argues that sustainability requires a superior logic informed by moral and political philosophies, as well as by the environmental philosophy that once guided farming in America. Internationally regarded as a leading expert in the fields of environmental science and the philosophy of technology, Thompson covers a variety of issues, including ethics, environmental philosophy, food and community, public policy, and agrarian life. His work draws on contemporary and historical scholarship, outlining the best path for sustainability in the modern world. The Agrarian Vision first explores the contrast between industrial and agrarian philosophies of agriculture and offers historical perspectives on sustainability, examining themes from Thomas continued on the back flap continued from the front flap Jefferson as well as the growth of ideas over the last 100 years. Thompson concludes by showing why contemporary theories of sustainability cannot afford to neglect agrarian thought. Challenging us to create a sustainable modern civilization, The Agrarian Vision demonstrates that in order to change the world, we must first change ourselves. Paul B. Thompson is the W. K. Kellogg Chair in Agricultural, Food, and Community Ethics at Michigan State University. He is the author of Agricultural Ethics: Research, Teaching, and Public Policy, The Spirit of the Soil: Agriculture and Environmental Ethics, and coauthor of Sacred Cows and Hot Potatoes: Agrarian Myths in Agricultural Policy. Jacket design by Erin Bradley Dangar / Dangar Design, www.dangardesign.com. Cover photograph © Sam Wirzba. The University Press of Kentucky The Agrarian Vision Culture of the Land: A Series in the New Agrarianism This series is devoted to the exploration and articulation of a new agrarianism that considers the health of habitats and human...