Nature, God and Humanity: Envisioning an Ethics of Nature

✍ Scribed by Richard L. Fern

• Year: 2002
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 285
• Edition: 1
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

This study interweaves philosophical, scientific, religious and cultural factors to reveal why non-human animals and nature are objects of moral concern and how our well-being depends on harmony with nature as it was created. This argument is unique in its comprehensiveness, its overt reliance on traditional forms of religious faith, and its account of how those with conflicting ethics can work together to end the current, foolish abuse of nature.

✦ Table of Contents

Cover......Page 1
Half-title......Page 3
Title......Page 5
Copyright......Page 6
Dedication......Page 7
Contents......Page 11
Preface......Page 13
Introduction......Page 19
PART I The ethics of nature......Page 27
POSING THE QUESTION......Page 29
WHY PEOPLE MATTER......Page 32
SELVES AND SENTIENTS......Page 36
BIOTIC EGALITARIANISM......Page 41
MORAL PRINCIPLES......Page 49
LIVING WITH MORAL INDETERMINACY......Page 55
ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL......Page 57
AUTOPOIESIS......Page 59
SPECIES AND ECOSYSTEMS......Page 64
ENVISIONING A HOLISTIC ETHICS OF NATURE......Page 66
THE INHERENT VALUE OF WILD NATURE......Page 69
MOTHER NATURE......Page 74
HUMANE HOLISM......Page 83
UNRESOLVED QUESTIONS......Page 87
THE CASE FOR ANIMAL AWARENESS......Page 89
SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY......Page 96
THE END OF NATURE......Page 100
FUZZY SCIENCE......Page 103
THINKING LIKE A MOUNTAIN......Page 107
FAITH AND REASON......Page 113
PART II The wild god......Page 121
RELIGIOUS NATURALISM......Page 123
THEISM......Page 128
THE REASONABLENESS OF FAITH......Page 135
THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION......Page 142
THE RADICAL OTHERNESS OF GOD......Page 154
A CONSTITUTIVE ACT......Page 157
AN ESCHATOLOGICAL ACT......Page 161
A CONVERSATIONAL ACT......Page 163
A SELF-LIMITING ACT......Page 165
A VULNERABLE ACT......Page 168
A LOVING ACT......Page 173
A TRUSTING ACT......Page 177
A FAITHFUL ACT......Page 179
PART III The body of humanity......Page 183
THE BODY OF HUMANITY......Page 185
SPEAKING FOR GOD......Page 186
HUMAN NATURE......Page 191
CULTURE-AS-NATURE......Page 197
HUMAN GOOD......Page 201
MORAL RESPECT AND NORMATIVE AUTHORITY......Page 209
WHY CULTURE MATTERS TO AN ETHICS OF NATURE......Page 212
THE BIG HUG......Page 219
HUMAN DOMINION AND THE FELLOWSHIP OF CREATION......Page 225
TOWARD A THEISTIC ETHICS OF NATURE......Page 232
PREDATION IN THE WILD......Page 234
HUMAN PREDATION......Page 241
THE POLITICS OF NATURE......Page 251
Bibliography......Page 260
Index of names......Page 279
Index of subjects......Page 282