Synopsis
These essays offer philosophical perspectives on global climate change, the endangerment of species, and the over-population and exploitation of the Earth by humans. They explore ways in which the philosophies of Greece, Rome, Asia, and North America, and especially the philosophies of Alfred North Whitehead and other process thinkers, can help us conceive and, in turn, seize an alternative to the pervasive worldviews that have led our civilization to the brink of catastrophe.It is the underlying contention of these authors that philosophy can help us respond imaginatively, constructively, and creatively to the ecological issues of our age. How? For one thing, our deep-seated and often unnoticed presuppositions about the nature of reality have direct bearing on our attitudes and actions, and philosophy can help us bring those presuppositions to light and think critically about them. What is more, philosophy can help us formulate and defend more adequate, plausible, and beneficial outlooks on the natural world and the place of human beings within the community of all earthly creatures. ~ From the IntroductionThis book contends that philosophy can help us formulate and defend more adequate, plausible, and beneficial outlooks on the natural world and the place of human beings within the community of earthly creatures. The es-says in this volume are not limited to any single theme or subject. Some of the chapters are focused on the impact of various philosophical perspectives on environmentalism. Others roam into issues of Western philosophy stretching all the way from Plato and Aristotle to Bergson and White-head. Notwithstanding this diversity of topics, all of the authors attempt in varying ways to draw conclusions that are relevant to a renewed commit-ment to the health of planet Earth. The shared goal of all the chapters is to find new philosophical and theological inspiration as we human creatures seek to respond imaginatively, constructively, and creatively to the ecologi-cal issues of our age, recognizing that we desperately need to conceive an alternative to the pervasive worldviews that have led our civilization to the brink of catastrophe.
About the Authors
Demian Wheeler is Assistant Professor of Philosophical Theology and Religious Studies at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities. He received his Ph.D. from Union Theological Seminary, where he specialized in American liberal theology. His research focuses on the Chicago School of American liberal theology and the streams of theological and philosophical thought that flow into and out of it: pragmatic historicism, religious naturalism, empirical theology, and process philosophy.
David E. Conner received his M.Div and Th.D. From Iliff School of Theology. He studied process philosophy with John Cobb, David Griffin, Charles Milligan, and Harvey Potthoff, who was himself a student of Whitehead's at Harvard. Conner has written several articles focusing on science and religion and on an empirical approach to process theology. He is co-pastor of the Wheat Ridge (Colorado) Congregation of the United Church of Christ.
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