The Philosophy of Ecology: From Science to Synthesis

We look to ecologists for many things, from accurate descriptions of natural systems to guidance on our proper relationships to them. Yet ecologists often disagree on matters that affect their own field's basic philosophical underpinnings. This international gathering of twenty-three seminal readings both illustrates the range of philosophical approaches available to ecologists and provides a basis for understanding the thinking on which many of today's environmental ideas are founded. Opening with a general introduction to the challenges of defining scientific ecology, tracing its genealogy, and distinguishing the science from various forms of "ecological-like" thinking, the volume is organized into thematic sections. Issues covered include the ontology of ecological entities and processes; selected concepts of community, stability, diversity, and niche; the methodology of ecology (rationalism and empiricism, reductionism and holism); and the significance of evolutionary law for ecological science. This is the first introductory anthology on the philosophy of ecology edited by an ecologist and a philosopher. It makes a powerful statement on the value of ecological knowledge and thinking in alleviating the many problems of modern industrial civilization.