by Louise Rusling

Created on: July 16, 2007   Last Updated: July 17, 2007

An environmental issue' is a term coined to cover a wide spectrum of environmental topics. These topics can range from large scale issues such as ecology' to something more specific like animal rights'. On the surface the question about whether an environmental issue is also a philosophical issue is not that apparent. However, when thinking more deeply about environmental issues, especially those in crisis, you can begin to see how closely they are both related. This doesn't just have to mean ethics; it can be justified when introducing the term metaphysics' which simply means what there really is'. This metaphysical notion of the reality of the world around us has some similarities with our environment. This is because the term environment' is in essence concerned with the external world we live in. When searching for answers about the environment you can succeed by referring to a number of disciplines i.e. science, politics, sociology and religion. The list is endless, but philosophy can contribute a lot more depth and address the questions that these disciplines would probably not even touch on. The contributions that philosophy can offer are vast. For example, one contribution philosophy can bring is questions such as Why we speak of animals, as if we are not?' This question explores a number of implications and also our outlook and attitudes towards the environment itself. This attitude or perception could begin to explain the reasons for the environmental crisis, such as pollution, global warming and depleting resources. Philosophy can shed new light on old issues and also challenge the status quo. This is depicted in another example which blames our current environmental crisis on Christianity. This fairly controversial example explores how the bible has encouraged humans to mistreat their own environment. Also ethics, a big part of philosophy, can contribute immensely, especially when considering the welfare of non-human animals. All of these examples can only begin to show the importance and value of using philosophy as an integral part of environmental discussions.

Environmental issues have only in recent times been explored in a philosophically sense. The two terms environment' and philosophy' have been seen as separate issues. This might be because historically philosophy has been applied as an add on' to existing subjects. In other words the subject is still relevant without the application of philosophy, such as political philosophy, philosophy

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