Ecological Life

Written as a series of lectures, The Ecological Life offers a humanistic perspective on environmental philosophy that challenges some of the dogmas of deep ecology and radical environmentalism while speaking for their best desires. The book argues that being human-centered leaves us open to ecological identifications, rather than the opposite. Bendik-Keymer draws on analytic and continental traditions of philosophy as well as literature and visual media. He argues for a sense of ecological justice consonant with human rights, and shows how humanistic thinking is committed to deepening respect for life and our ecological orientation. In a clear, jargon-free and conversational tone, The Ecological Life presents a timely and important contribution to civic engagement in an ecological century.

In The Ecological Life, Jeremy Bendik-Keymer combines an impassioned personal plea for global ecological responsibility with a thoughtful synthesis of the best traditions of environmental and humanist thinking. Conceived as a series of lectures to bright students at an unnamed liberal arts college in the United States, the argument is clear and compelling and accessible, and has the merit of bringing philosophical rigor to what sounds more like a very thoughtful individual working out what really matters now, than a jargon-filled contribution to questions of philosophical scholarship., A refreshing ontological exploration of what it means to be human in light of our current ecological plight. The Ecological Life, in a useful pedagogical style, attempts to integrate notions of citizenship, justice, humaneness, and ecological integrity, advancing a notion of human-nonhuman relationship that is both balanced and challenging., Jeremy Bendik-Keymer has written a remarkable book of philosophical anthropology - marvelously readable, yet strikingly original and radical in its moral, political and philosophical perspective. It ranges broadly without sacrificing depth or rigor…Written as lectures to imaginary undergraduate students, it is also a seductive and penetrating contribution to the philosophy of education., In this passionate work, Bendik-Keymer exhibits a consern and honesty in content and style that will engage readers. This work is a fine student introduction to ecological issues. Recommended., By thinking through our connections to the earth, to our own history, and to our natural history, [Bendik-Keymer] does a service to those of us who have for decades pled for a more ecological imagination and have presented our pleas in verse, paintings, essays, songs, and prayers. . . . [He] offers us an alternative source of thinking.

Jeremy Bendik-Keymer is Assistant Professor of Philosophy in the Department of International Studies, American University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.