The Agrarian Vision: Sustainability and Environmental Ethics - Hardcover

by Paul B. Thompson (Author)

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.

Front Jacket

With skyrocketing gas prices, an economic recession, and the developing presence of chemically altered food, the state of our planet is a growing concern. Going "green" and organic are two of the newest trends intended to decrease our negative impact on the environment and reverse existing damage. The Agrarian Vision: Sustainability and Environmental Ethics explores the significance of agrarian philosophy for modern agriculture and our transition to a sustainable society.

While sustainability remains a national and global concern, many "environmentally committed" individuals do not identify any connection with agrarian ideals. The Agrarian Vision strives to change that perception, particularly in the United States. Paul B. Thompson argues that a philosophy of sustainability requires superior logic, informed by moral and political philosophies, as well as by the environmental philosophy that was once expressed in connection with farming. Internationally regarded as a leading expert in the fields of environmental science and agrarian philosophy, 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 offers a historical perspective on sustainability and the debates that have formed over the last 100 years and concludes with modern theories of sustainability and agrarian thought. Challenging us to change how we live to create a sustainable environment way of life, The Agrarian Vision demonstrates that in order to change the world, we must first change ourselves.

Author Biography

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.