Environmental Ethics

Volume 6, Issue 1, Spring 1984

Toward Agricultures of Context

The current mode of agricultural organization produces both political and ecological problems. I explore several deeply-rooted cultural origins of that mode of organization, particularly the movements toward scientism and capitalism; each of these is shown to emphasize abstraction from context. A contrasting set of values, emphasizing holism and localism, is then examined. Several forms of agriculture consistent with these contrasting values, and exempt from previously discussed problems, are described.