Chris Cuomo

_Feminism and Ecological Communities_ presents a bold and passionate rethinking of the ecofeminist movement. It is one of the first books to acknowledge the importance of postmodern feminist arguments against ecofeminism whilst persuasively preseenting a strong new case for econolocal feminism. Chris J.Cuomo first traces the emergence of ecofeminism from the ecological and feminist movements before clearly discussing the weaknesses of some ecofeminist positions. Exploring the dualisms of nature/culture and masculing/feminine that are the bulwark of many contemporary ecofeminist positions and questioning traditional traditional feminist analyses of gender and caring, _Feminism and Ecological Communities_ asks whether women are essentially closer to nature than men and how we ought to link the oppression of women, people of colour, and other subjugated groups to the degradation of nature. Chris J.Cuomo addresses these key issues by drawing on recent work in feminist ethics as well as teh work of diverse figures such as Aristotle, John Dewey, Donna Haraway adn Maria Lugones. A fascinating feature of the book is the use of the metaphor of the cyborg to highlight the fluidity of the nature/culture distinction and how this can enrich econfeminist ethics and politics. An outstanding new argument for an ecological feminism that links both theory and practice, _Feminism and Ecological Communities_ bravely redraws the ecofeminist map. It will be essential reading for all those interested in gender studies, environmental studies and philosophy

In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:Ethics & the Environment 8.1 (2003) 1 [Access article in PDF] Guest Editor's Note Chris Cuomo The term "eco-art" is used to describe art that expresses an environmentalist spirit, but art is always a nexus of nature and culture. Through artful manipulations of matter and ideas, the human animal develops, investigates, and questions itself, in complex relation to social and nonhuman realms. Artists motivated by ecological values create work that challenges assumptions about those realms, and enact new forms of being, engagement, and restoration.Most artists I know are very philosophical about their work. Writing can be art, of course, and philosophy itself is a foundational form of human creativity. For this issue we invited theorists, artists, teachers, and curators to engage the art of the essay in innovative ways. In addition to analytic arguments, here you will find philosophers writing as storytellers, theorists writing as activists, and artists writing penetrating theory. We hope that this work introduces you to new ideas and new arts, and that it inspires further practical conversation about ethics, nature, politics, and creativity.I would like to thank Vicky Davion, editor of Ethics & the Environment, for welcoming the idea of a special issue focusing on art, and managing editor Mona Freer, for her expert attention to copyediting and compilation. I also thank all of the contributors and artists who helped this diverse and wide-ranging issue come to life. Chris Cuomo is author of The Philosopher Queen: Feminist Essays on War, Love, and Knowledge (Rowman and Littlefield, 2003), and Feminism and Ecological Communities, an Ethic of Flourishing (Routledge, 1998). She is an activist, artist, and Associate Professor of Philosophy and Women's Studies at the University of Cincinnati. Email: [email protected]...

Karen Warren has argued that environmental ethics must be feminist and that feminist ethics must be ecological. She endorses ecological feminism, or ecofeminism, as an environmental ethic with power and promise. Warren's assertions are worth investigating, for if vindicated they call for radical revision of much contemporary political and ethical thought. But recent ecofeminism theory is not as powerful as one might hope. I argue that much of this theory is based on values which are potentially damaging to moral agents, and which are not in accord with feminist goals. My intent is not to dismantle ecofeminism, but to analyze and clarify some of the philosophical problems with recent ecofeminist work, identify more promising work, and discuss ways that ecofeminism might realize its potential. ;Ecofeminism is a branch of ecological thought which attempts to combine feminist analysis with insights from contemporary ecology. The best examples of ecofeminist ethical theory offer a focus on the intersections of environmental and human social concerns. They uncover problematic philosophical assumptions, such as hierarchical dualisms, which fuel human oppression as well as environmental degradation and mistreatment of animals, and present alternative ethical frameworks. I aim to show that, although other theory might serve some purpose, ecofeminist ethics that are grounded in rigorous, dynamic feminist theory is most promising. ;Contrary to some other theorists, I argue that ecofeminists must take seriously the fact that ecofeminism emerged from radical feminism, and that if ecofeminism is to be the foundation of a viable ethical theory it must maintain and strengthen its connection to social and ecological activism. I also explore how ecofeminist ethical theory and activism that is rooted in feminist theory and activism calls into question assumptions about the role of ethical theory and ethical theorists. ;With Martha Nussbaum's claim that certain reflections on human life are best expressed through literature and poetry as a backdrop, I illustrate several important aspects of ecofeminist ethics through a discussion of Susan Griffin's Woman and Nature. Finally, I compare ecofeminism to Deep Ecology, a radical ecological movement, and show the superiority of ecofeminism's approach to questions about human population

In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:Ethics & the Environment 8.1 (2003) 1 [Access article in PDF] Guest Editor's Note Chris Cuomo The term "eco-art" is used to describe art that expresses an environmentalist spirit, but art is always a nexus of nature and culture. Through artful manipulations of matter and ideas, the human animal develops, investigates, and questions itself, in complex relation to social and nonhuman realms. Artists motivated by ecological values create work that challenges assumptions about those realms, and enact new forms of being, engagement, and restoration.Most artists I know are very philosophical about their work. Writing can be art, of course, and philosophy itself is a foundational form of human creativity. For this issue we invited theorists, artists, teachers, and curators to engage the art of the essay in innovative ways. In addition to analytic arguments, here you will find philosophers writing as storytellers, theorists writing as activists, and artists writing penetrating theory. We hope that this work introduces you to new ideas and new arts, and that it inspires further practical conversation about ethics, nature, politics, and creativity.I would like to thank Vicky Davion, editor of Ethics & the Environment, for welcoming the idea of a special issue focusing on art, and managing editor Mona Freer, for her expert attention to copyediting and compilation. I also thank all of the contributors and artists who helped this diverse and wide-ranging issue come to life. Chris Cuomo is author of The Philosopher Queen: Feminist Essays on War, Love, and Knowledge (Rowman and Littlefield, 2003), and Feminism and Ecological Communities, an Ethic of Flourishing (Routledge, 1998). She is an activist, artist, and Associate Professor of Philosophy and Women's Studies at the University of Cincinnati. Email: [email protected]...