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9Pragmatism, Problem Solving, and Strategies for Engaged PhilosophyIn Samantha Noll & Zachary Piso (eds.), Paul B. Thompson's Philosophy of Agriculture: Fields, Farmers, Forks, and Food, Springer Verlag. pp. 17-32. 2023.Philosophical pragmatism provides a theory and practical guidance for engaged philosophy. The movement to apply philosophy to real-world problems gained traction in the 1970s and has become an important area of philosophical inquiry. Applied philosophy draws connections between philosophical principles and real-life problems. This has been a valuable methodology for many purposes, and it especially serves the purposes of philosophers. Unfortunately, it often starts from existing frameworks or pr…Read more
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48Science at the Frontiers: Perspectives on the History and Philosophy of ScienceLexington Books. 2011.Compiled by an archaeologist and philosopher of science, Science at the Frontiers: Perspectives on the History and Philosophy of Science supplements current literature in the history and philosophy of science with essays approaching the traditional problems of the field from new perspectives and highlighting disciplines usually overlooked by the canon. William H. Krieger brings together scientists from a number of disciplines to answer these questions and more in a volume appropriate for both st…Read more
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11Holly Jean Buck. After Geoengineering: Climate Tragedy, Repair, and RestorationEnvironmental Ethics 45 (2): 199-202. 2023.
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14The Value of Public PhilosophyIn Lee C. McIntyre, Nancy Arden McHugh & Ian Olasov (eds.), A companion to public philosophy, Wiley-blackwell. 2022.Academic philosophy constructs theoretical resources for understanding society by refining reasoning tools, categorizing experience, studying what is valuable and why, and reflecting on knowledge itself. Public philosophy serves a social function by bringing philosophical methods, expertise, and insights to bear on concrete issues, in concrete situations, and in dialogue with actual stakeholders. Public philosophers rarely achieve the cultural prominence of public intellectuals and often have di…Read more
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18Wishful Thinking vs. Hopeful Action: Response to Diehm on American Chestnut Restoration (review)Ethics, Policy and Environment 26 (2): 354-358. 2023.Christian Diehm has argued against using a genetically modified American chestnut variety in forest restoration. He is concerned that a GM variety sets a bad precedent and is disrespectful toward nature. He is also concerned that not enough has been done to consult with Native American tribes. We give evidence that consultation with tribes, environmental organizations, and the public is valuable and necessary – and that there is support for the GM chestnut. Genetic modification that saves a spec…Read more
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53Value-Free Science, Policy Advocacy, and Volitional PragmatismThe Pluralist 10 (1): 23-30. 2015.Among other things, the philosophical tradition of pragmatism provides a theory of inquiry and a theory of collective action. The theory of inquiry frames how humans investigate their problems and devise solutions; the theory of collective action frames how we work together to implement solutions to shared problems. Though philosophical, pragmatism aims to integrate philosophy and practice by developing theory that is useful for solving the problems that press on people’s lives. In spite of this…Read more
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24Author Meets Critics: Paul Thompson, The Spirit of the Soil, 2nd EdEthics, Policy and Environment 25 (2): 194-223. 2022.Clark WolfDepartment of Philosophy & Religious Studies,Iowa State UniversityPaul Thompson’s Spirit of the Soil was groundbreaking when it appeared in 1995, and has aged remarkably well. The substan...
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48Not the Same Old ChestnutEnvironmental Ethics 42 (2): 149-167. 2020.We argue that the wild release of genetically modified organisms can be justified as a way of preserving species and ecosystems. We look at the case of a genetically modified American chestnut that is currently undergoing regulatory review. Because American chestnuts are functionally extinct, a genetically modified replacement has significant conservation value. In addition, many of the arguments used against GMOs, especially GMO crops, do not hold for American chestnut trees. Finally, we show h…Read more
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23A Guide to Field Philosophy: Case Studies and Practical Strategies (edited book)Routledge. 2020.Philosophers increasingly engage in practical work with other disciplines and the world at large. This volume draws together the lessons learned from this work--including philosophers' contributions to scientific research projects, consultations on matters of policy, and expertise provided to government agencies and non-profits--on how to effectively practice philosophy. Its 22 case studies are organized into five sections: I Collaboration and Communication II Policymaking and the Public Sphere …Read more
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43Field Philosophy and Social JusticeSocial Epistemology 35 (4): 393-404. 2021.Field philosophy is a method of philosophical practice. As such, it is open or neutral with regard to topic and content, to the social location of collaborators, and to the type of outcome or produ...
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18The Computational History of Philosophy of Science Dataset aims to be a comprehensive set of article and book chapter metadata for philosophy of science. The dataset covers the full run of over 40 journals and 3 major book series in the field. An automated author disambiguation script is used to construct canonical names for each author, and a combination of gender attribution methods is used to attribute the gender of each author. The full code used to generate the dataset is available at [URL …Read more
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11Unifying Agricultural and Environmental EthicsEthics, Policy and Environment 22 (3): 251-258. 2019.Paul B. Thompson’s agrarian ethic aims to unite the core agricultural value of providing sustenance for people with the environmental value of preserving nature into the future. His recently revise...
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8Proceduralism and Expertise in Local Environmental Decision-MakingIn Ben A. Minteer & Sahotra Sarkar (eds.), A Sustainable Philosophy—the Work of Bryan Norton, Springer Verlag. 2018.Among Bryan Norton’s most influential contributions to environmental philosophy has been his analysis and evaluation of democratic processes for environmental decision-making. He examines actual cases of environmental decision-making in their legal, political, ethical and scientific contexts, and, with contextual constraints and goals in mind, he theorizes concerning what they accomplish and how they can be improved. Informed by the political theories of both John Dewey and Jürgen Habermas, Nort…Read more
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30Randall Curren and Ellen Metzger, Living Well Now and in the Future: Why Sustainability MattersEnvironmental Values 27 (5): 594-596. 2018.
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27Bryan G. Norton, Sustainable Values, Sustainable Change: A Guide to Environmental Decision MakingEnvironmental Values 26 (2): 251-253. 2017.
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26Diversification of Land Management Goals and Strategies in Response to Climate ChangeEthics, Policy and Environment 16 (1): 26-28. 2013.A commentary on Ronald Sandler, 2013, "Climate change and Ecosystem Management." Rapid ecological change requires rethinking land management goals and strategies. We propose extending Sandler’s view. First, it is a false dichotomy to assume that a definitive choice must be made between reserve oriented and restoration approaches. Second, even more emphasis can be placed on the value of diversity in management approaches.
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14Return to Warden's Grove: Science, Desire, and the Lives of Sparrows, Christopher Norment (review)Ethics, Place and Environment 12 (3): 367-371. 2009.Return to Warden's Grove: Science, Desire, and the Lives of Sparrows Christopher Norment Iowa City, University of Iowa Press, 2008, xiv + 215 pp., cloth, $26.00 Return to Warden's Grove: Science, D...
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63Review of What Every Science Student Should Know by J. L. Bauer, Y. J. Kim, A. H. Zureick and D. K. Lee, U of Chicago Press, 2016
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37Environmental Values (review)Ethics, Policy and Environment 14 (1): 123-125. 2011.Review of Environmental Values by John O’Neill, Alan Holland and Andrew Light, Routledge, 2007.
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26Teaching the logic of science: Kent W. Staley: An introduction to the philosophy of science. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2014, $29.99 PB (review)Metascience 24 (3): 511-514. 2015.Book review: Kent W. Staley: An introduction to the philosophy of science. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
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1318Disciplinary capture and epistemological obstacles to interdisciplinary research: Lessons from central African conservation disputesStudies in History and Philosophy of Science Part C: Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences 56 82-91. 2016.Complex environmental problems require well-researched policies that integrate knowledge from both the natural and social sciences. Epistemic differences can impede interdisciplinary collaboration, as shown by debates between conservation biologists and anthropologists who are working to preserve biological diversity and support economic development in central Africa. Disciplinary differences with regard to 1) facts, 2) rigor, 3) causal explanation, and 4) research goals reinforce each other, su…Read more
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265Feminist epistemology, contextualism, and philosophical skepticismMetaphilosophy 40 (5): 671-688. 2009.Abstract: This essay explores the relation between feminist epistemology and the problem of philosophical skepticism. Even though feminist epistemology has not typically focused on skepticism as a problem, I argue that a feminist contextualist epistemology may solve many of the difficulties facing recent contextualist responses to skepticism. Philosophical skepticism appears to succeed in casting doubt on the very possibility of knowledge by shifting our attention to abnormal contexts. I argue t…Read more
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53Using Illustrative Case Studies: A Case in Teaching Climate EthicsTeaching Ethics 14 (2): 17-34. 2014.There are benefits to organizing an introductory ethics course around the ethical, social, and political questions related to climate change. One topic such a course may fruitfully explore is the issue of whether, when, and how climate scientists should advocate for climate policy. When is scientific advocacy a failure of scientific objectivity, and what are the ethical consequences of scientists attempting to influence policy objectives? This paper lays out a method for using illustrative case …Read more
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59Distributing Epistemic Authority: Refining Norton’s Pragmatist Approach to Environmental Decision-MakingContemporary Pragmatism 9 (1): 185-203. 2012.Environmental pragmatists are committed to analyzing questions of environmental policy. Bryan Norton's pragmatic critique of environmental decision-making shows how an implicit commitment to the fact/value distinction has hindered productive environmental action. Nonetheless, Norton, as well as the majority of environmental ethicists, have devoted more attention to theorizing value disagreements as a primary cause of controversy than to examining epistemic structures. A case study demonstrates w…Read more
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27Global Warming and the Problem of Failed IntentionsPhilosophy and Public Issues - Filosofia E Questioni Pubbliche 3 (1): 247-271. 2013.Effective solutions to global warming will likely require coordinated national and international policies. But in the short term, individuals might choose to take actions or not take actions which will reduce their own contribution to global warming. Philosophers have argued that individual action to curb climate emissions is not morally inconsequential. A strong case can be made for individual causal responsibility for the production of the moral harms which would result from climate change. Ho…Read more
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