5.0 out of 5 stars
A thoughtful and moderate defense of democratic humanism., Dec 29 2003
...Ferry sees deep ecology (or what Americans would call deep ecology) as fundamentally at odds with democracy. Essentially, we may read his critique as claiming that, while democracy incorporates an open-ended dialogue over the good, deep ecology promotes a singular vision of what is good. Deep ecology is biocentric, placing humankind squarely in the midst of nature; democracy, in contrast, is humanistic. Deep ecology promotes a dissolution of the subject; democracy places the subject at its core.
In exploring the tension between deep ecology and democracy (but not, it should be noted, between environmentalism as such), Ferry draws on a few well-illustrated examples, including case studies of Medieval trials of animals, developments in German Romanticism, and Nazi ideology. The chapters on Nazism are especially interesting - although it is made clear that deep ecology is not a form of fascism; only that there are certain paralles in how each addresses the question of democracy and modernity.
The book is well-written and well-argued. In contrast to the stereotypical French philosopher (at least as many Americans have been exposed to French philosophy), Ferry's writing is elegant and clear, and he avoids obfuscation. I have used portions of this book in introductory classes, and plan to assign it in an upcoming undergraduate seminar.
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