Ecologism

Smith asks what happens to the core assumptions of social and political theory once ecological thinking is taken seriously. Instead of treating green concerns as an add-on to existing frameworks, he argues that the basic questions a green outlook raises reshape how modern ideas are understood and framed.

He first sets out what distinguishes ecological thought, then tests it on two disputed areas of environmental ethics: what the present owes to future generations, and how humans should relate to other animals. These cases bring out the tensions and inconsistencies that arise when conventional notions of rights and justice are applied to environmental problems.

From this critique the book moves toward a new politics of obligation, with ecological citizenship as its foundation. Written as a student text for environmental studies, politics and sociology, it is also useful to general readers who want to explore ecology and the environment more deeply.