The Variety of Integral Ecologies Nature, Culture, and Knowledge in the Planetary Era

About this book

Presents integral approaches to ecology that cross the boundaries of the humanities, social sciences, and biophysical sciences.

In the current era of increasing planetary interconnectedness, ecological theories and practices are called to become more inclusive, complex, and comprehensive. The diverse contributions to The Variety of Integral Ecologies offer a range of integral approaches to ecology that cross the boundaries of the humanities and sciences and help us understand and respond to today's ecological challenges. The contributors provide detailed analyses of assorted integral ecologies, drawing on such founding figures and precursors as Thomas Berry, Leonardo Boff, Holmes Rolston III, Ken Wilber, and Edgar Morin. Also included is research across the social sciences, biophysical sciences, and humanities discussing multiple worldviews and perspectives related to integral ecologies. The Variety of Integral Ecologies is both an accessible guide and an advanced supplement to the growing research for a more comprehensive understanding of ecological issues and the development of a peaceful, just, and sustainable planetary civilization.

Contents

List of Illustrations
Acknowledgments

Foreword
      Mary Evelyn Tucker
1. Introduction: The History and Future of Integral Ecologies
      Sam Mickey, Sean Kelly, and Adam Robbert

Part I. Foundational Thought
2. For an Emerging Earth Community: Thomas Berry and a Shared Dream
      Sam Mickey
3. An Overview of Integral Ecology: A Comprehensive Approach to Today’s Complex Planetary Issues
      Sean Esbjörn-Hargens and Michael E. Zimmerman
4. Integral Ecology and Edgar Morin’s Paradigm of Complexity
      Sean Kelly
5. Integral Ecology’s Debt to Holmes Rolston III
      Michael E. Zimmerman

Part II. Worldviews and Perspectives
6. Cultivating Wisdom: Toward an Ecology of Transformation
      Mark D. Hathaway
7. The Relational Spiral of Integral Ecology
      Elizabeth Allison
8. Five Principles of Integral Ecology
      Sean Kelly

Part III. Emerging Theories
9. Cosmopolitics
      Adam Robbert and Sam Mickey
10. On a Few Matters of Concern: Toward an Ecology of Integrity
      Adrian Ivakhiv
11. Animal Worlds: The Importance of Biosemiotics for Integral Ecology
      Sean Esbjörn-Hargens

Part IV. Practical Applications
12. Toward an Integral Ecology of Worldviews: Reflexive Communicative Action for Climate Solutions
      Annick De Witt and Nicholas Hedlund
13. Ecovillages: Bridges to Integral Community?
      Karen T. Litfin

List of Contributors
Index

Customer Reviews

Biography

Sam Mickey is Professor of Theology and Religious Studies and Environmental Studies at the University of San Francisco. He is the author of Coexistentialism and the Unbearable Intimacy of Ecological Emergency; Whole Earth Thinking and Planetary Coexistence: Ecological Wisdom at the Intersection of Religion, Ecology, and Philosophy; and On the Verge of a Planetary Civilization: A Philosophy of Integral Ecology.

Sean Kelly is Professor of Philosophy, Cosmology, and Consciousness at the California Institute of Integral Studies. He is the author of Individuation and the Absolute: Hegel, Jung, and the Path Toward Wholeness and Coming Home: The Birth and Transformation of the Planetary Era and the coeditor (with Donald Rothberg) of Ken Wilber in Dialogue: Conversations with Leading Transpersonal Thinkers.

Adam Robbert is a doctoral candidate studying the philosophy of mind, action, and perception at the California Institute of Integral Studies.