Philosophy of ecology

Plant growth on the exterior of a dilapidated wall.

Philosophy of ecology is a concept under the philosophy of science, which is a subfield of philosophy. Its main concerns centre on the practice and application of ecology, its moral issues, and the intersectionality between the position of humans and other entities.[1] This topic also overlaps with metaphysics, ontology, and epistemology, for example, as it attempts to answer metaphysical, epistemic and moral issues surrounding environmental ethics and public policy.[2]

The aim of the philosophy of ecology is to clarify and critique the 'first principles’, which are the fundamental assumptions present in science and the natural sciences. Although there has yet to be a consensus about what presupposes philosophy of ecology, and the definition for ecology is up for debate, there are some central issues that philosophers of ecology consider when examining the role and purpose of what ecologists practice. For example, this field considers the 'nature of nature',[2] the methodological and conceptual issues surrounding ecological research, and the problems associated with these studies within its contextual environment.[3]

Philosophy addresses the questions that make up ecological studies, and presents a different perspective into the history of ecology, environmental ethics in ecological science, and the application of mathematical models.[3]

  1. ^ Taylor, Peter J. (2014), "Philosophy of Ecology", eLS, American Cancer Society, doi:10.1002/9780470015902.a0003607.pub3, ISBN 9780470015902
  2. ^ a b Keller, David R.; Golley, Frank B. (2000). The Philosophy of Ecology: From Science to Synthesis. Athens, Georgia: University of Georgia Press. pp. 1–20.
  3. ^ a b Brenner, Joseph E. (2018). "The Philosophy of Ecology and Sustainability: New Logical and Informational Dimensions". Philosophies. 3 (2): 16. doi:10.3390/philosophies3020016.