Description
Book SynopsisEcological Economics offers an authoritative overview of a rapidly developing discipline lying at the interface of economics, natural science and philosophy. This pioneering new book focuses on the concepts and methods required to integrate sciences and humanities in order to build ecological economics.
Ecological Economics as a practice seeks to comprehend the evolving interactions between humans and the natural world. Ranging across the discipline from its conceptual and philosophical foundations to problems of global warming and waste production in the chemicals industry, the authors confidently address the central dilemma of control over nature by humans ignorant of the environmental impacts of their actions. Faber, Manstetten and Proops argue convincingly for an evolutionary approach to human-nature interactions and for the use of natural science concepts, such as entropy.
Students and researchers concerned with environmental, resource and ecological economics will welcome Ecological Economics as a convincing and innovative approach to the creation of a discipline capable of contributing to a new relationship between human and non-human nature.
Table of ContentsContents: 1. Introduction Part I: An Introduction to Ecological Economics 2. Ecological Economics: Rationale and Problem Areas 3. Towards an Open Future: Ignorance, Novelty and Evolution 4. The Dilemma of Modern Humans and Nature: An Exploration of the Faustian Imperative 5. Sustainable Development: The Roles of Science and Ethics Part II: Conceptual Foundations of Ecological Economics 6. Entropy: A Unifying Concept for Ecological Economics 7. The Use of the Entropy Concept in Ecological Economics 8. Evolution in Biology, Physics and Economics: A Conceptual Analysis 9. On the Conceptual Foundations of Ecological Economics: A Teleological Approach 10. Interdisciplinary Research Between Economists and Physical Scientists: Retrospect and Prospect Part III: Epistemological Perspectives on Ecological Economics 11. Humankind and the Environment: An Anatomy of Surprise and Ignorance 12. Experience, Knowledge and the Environment: An Epistemological Essay Part IV: Environmental and Resource Issues 13. Linking Ecology and Economy: Joint Production in the Chemical Industry 14. Reducing CO2 Emissions: Analysis and Policy References Indexes
