Normative Concepts in Ecology and Their Consequences for Enviromental Policy

专门研究科学政策和 环境伦理学和研究植物-动物-栖息地的生态学家 互动将探讨生态学中的两个基本概念： 自然与社会的平衡。 目的是了解（1） 评价假设在这些概念中的作用，（2）这些假设如何 假设可能会影响生态学家的解释和结论 从他们的工作中汲取，（3）支持的道德责任感 因此，可以给予有关环境的具体政策 保护 每周开会，两名调查人员将分析30个关键 生态工程。 生态学家的主要责任是 分析这两个概念;哲学家，为伦理 分析. 他们的工作草案将由一个小组评论 包括几位生态学家和历史学家，一位环境专家， 一位专门研究伦理学和环境问题的哲学家 政策 在项目实施过程中， 生态学也将研究这些问题。 结果将包括一个共同的， 作者手稿检查的概念和他们的前提， 在环境政策制定中使用它们的实际后果， 和可能的答案的道德理由的问题，他们的 使用. 该项目将为发展 充分分析的理论和规范含义 生态科学 两位调查员都非常出色- 合格;研究生学习参与;机构支持是非常 好. 这是一个很好的例子， EVS应该鼓励合作研究。 结果很可能是 具有煽动性并广为传播。 费用非常合理。 总 建议提供72 044美元的支助，其中35 404美元将用于 在本财政年度中，

A philosopher who specializes in studies of science policy and environmental ethics and an ecologist who studies plant-animal-habitat interactions will investigate two foundational concepts in ecology: balance of nature and community. The goal is to understand (1) the roles of evaluative assumptions in these concepts, (2) how these assumptions may affect the interpretations and conclusions ecologists draw from their work, and (3) the moral justifiability of the support that may thereby be given to specific policies regarding environmental protection. Meeting weekly, the two investigators will analyze 30 key ecological works. The ecologist has primary responsibility for the analysis of the two concepts; the philosopher, for the ethical analysis. Drafts of their work will be commented on by a group including several ecologists and historians, an expert in environmental policy and a philosopher specializing in ethics and environmental policy. During the course of the project, several graduate seminars in ecology will also examine these issues. Results will include a co- authored manuscript examining the concepts and their presuppositions, the practical consequences of using them in environmental policymaking, and possible answers to questions of the moral justification for their use. This project will provide an important impetus to the development of adequate analyses of theoretical and normative implications of ecological science. The investigators are both exceptionally well- qualified; graduate studies are involved; institutional support is very good. This is a good example of the kind of cross-disciplinary collaborative research EVS should encourage. Results are likely to be provocative and widely disseminated. Costs are very reasonable. Total support in the amount of $72,044 is recommended, with $35,404 to be awarded in this fiscal year.