Chapter 2: A Spectrum of Environmental Ideologies

Bryn Morgan

Summary:

The second chapter deals with differing ideologies in the environmental world, and how to make sense of them. Corbett defines an environmental ideology as “a way of thinking about the natural world that a person uses to justify actions toward it.” These ideologies have endpoints that start with anthropocentric, and end with ecocentric. Corbett emphasizes the importance of distinguishing a person’s belief system, from what their actual behavior is because it the two do not necessarily go hand-in-hand.

Corbett starts with “Unrestrained Instrumentalism” to describe the gradient of environmental ideologies. Here, there is a belief that world revolves around humans, and the world’s resources are ripe for the picking. Nothing is limited, and humans are given priority above all else.  Next, is “conservationism,” which recognizes that there should be some effort to conserve resources for future generations. The idea of conservationism is still centralized around humans, and the desire to avoid damaging nature only for future human benefits. Thirdly, Corbett describes “preservationism” and its purpose to support conserving resources for future generations, as well as for reasons that “go beyond their purely instrumental value.” However, there is still some criticism found in preservationism and how it determines “value” of nature by a subjective human experience. A more progressive ideology, is the “ethics and values-driven” ideology. This moves toward giving non-human entities intrinsic value or inherent worth. So aside from how these entities benefit humans, they are intrinsic for themselves, by themselves. This ideology explains that humans need not a large role in the natural system of nature. Lastly, Corbett explains “transformative ideologies,” which question the dominant environmental ideologies and move to bring change in the social world. Corbett uses several examples to describe this ideology, including ecological sensibility, deep ecology, social ecology, ecofeminism, Native American ideologies, and Eastern traditions.

Corbett uses the ties between all these ideologies to illustrate the fact that there is indeed a place for humans within them, and the key is finding an interdependent relationship between humans and the larger biotic community.

Reflection:

Corbett did a really great job of creating ties between each ideology, and giving detailed descriptions of the progression from one to another. I like the fact that she points out how one ideology may start out sympathetic toward nature, but in the end it fails to be very progressive. It really makes me reconsider the whole “green” movement, and the motives behind it all. Is it just another marketing scam for companies to profit off of? Or do they really have intentions to save the environment? If they do have good intentions, are those intentions more about preserving resources for future generations, like Corbett talks about, or are they really for preserving the ecosystem itself? These questions started haunting me the minute I finished the second chapter. While I think the “green” movement has succeeded in bringing awareness to the situation, I don’t think it has questioned the dominant environmental ideologies and called for an extensive social change.