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Agriculture's Ethical Horizon
- 1st Edition - February 14, 2006
- Author: Robert L Zimdahl
- Language: English
- Paperback ISBN:9 7 8 - 0 - 1 2 - 3 7 0 5 1 1 - 2
- eBook ISBN:9 7 8 - 0 - 0 8 - 0 4 6 1 1 2 - 0
What are the goals of agricultural science? What should the goals of agricultural science be? How do and how should the practitioners of agriculture address complex ethical… Read more
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Request a sales quoteWhat are the goals of agricultural science? What should the goals of agricultural science be? How do and how should the practitioners of agriculture address complex ethical questions? These questions are explored in this monumental book so that those in agriculture will begin an open dialoge on the ethics of agriculture.
Discussion of foundational values, of why we practice agriculture as we do, should become a central, rather than peripheral, part of agricultural practice and education. If agricultural scientists do not venture forth to understand and shape the ethical base of the future, it will be imposed by others. Largely autobiographical, this book covers topics such as scientific truth and myth, what agricultural research should be done, an introduction to ethics, moral confidence in agriculture, the relevance of ethics to agriculture, sustainability, and biotechnology.
Discussion of foundational values, of why we practice agriculture as we do, should become a central, rather than peripheral, part of agricultural practice and education. If agricultural scientists do not venture forth to understand and shape the ethical base of the future, it will be imposed by others. Largely autobiographical, this book covers topics such as scientific truth and myth, what agricultural research should be done, an introduction to ethics, moral confidence in agriculture, the relevance of ethics to agriculture, sustainability, and biotechnology.
- Written by an expert who has been engaged in agricultural education and research for over 35 years
- Content is easily understandable by non-philosophers
- The concepts of scientific truth and myth are contrasted and compared
- Chapter sidebars highlight important concepts and can be used to engage students in further discussion
Anyone engaged in agriculture including students, researchers, and professionals in environmental studies, horticulture, plant science, and soil science. Those involved in associated regional and county offices, farmers and ranchers, agricultural chemical companies, and all those employed by other phases of the agricultural industry.
- Foreword
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- Chapter 1: The Horizon of Agricultural Ethics
- Publisher Summary
- SCIENTIFIC TRUTH AND MYTH
- Chapter 2: The Conduct of Agricultural Science
- Publisher Summary
- WHAT RESEARCH OUGHT TO BE DONE?
- Chapter 3: When Things Go Wrong—Balancing Technology’s Safety and Risk
- Publisher Summary
- THE DEVELOPMENT OF HERBICIDES
- PROGRESS OF WEED SCIENCE
- CHALLENGES
- THE CONTINUING DEBATE
- Chapter 4: An Introduction to Ethics
- Publisher Summary
- SCIENCE AND EMOTION
- UNIVERSAL VALUES
- ETHICS IN AGRICULTURE
- CONTEMPORARY NORMATIVE ETHICS
- ETHICAL THEORIES RELEVANT TO AGRICULTURE
- APPLYING ETHICS IN AGRICULTURE AND AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE
- Chapter 5: Moral Confidence in Agriculture
- Publisher Summary
- THE BENEFITS AND COSTS OF MODERN AGRICULTURE
- GOALS FOR AGRICULTURE
- EXPANDING AGRICULTURE’S MORAL SCOPE
- CONCLUSION
- Chapter 6: The Relevance of Ethics to Agriculture and Weed Science
- Publisher Summary
- Chapter 7: Agricultural Sustainability
- Publisher Summary
- THE PRESENT AGRICULTURAL SITUATION: THE EXAMPLE OF WEED MANAGEMENT
- THE MORAL CASE FOR SUSTAINABILITY
- WHAT IS SUSTAINABILITY?
- WHY MUST SUSTAINABILITY BE ACHIEVED?
- A CONCLUDING COMMENT ON SUSTAINABLE WEED SCIENCE
- Chapter 8: Biotechnology
- Publisher Summary
- THE DEBATE
- TECHNOLOGICAL PROBLEMS
- REGULATION
- ARGUMENTS IN FAVOR OF AGRICULTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
- ARGUMENTS OPPOSED TO AGRICULTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
- THE MORAL ARGUMENTS
- Chapter 9: How to Proceed
- Publisher Summary
- WATER LOGGING AND SALINIZATION
- DESERTIFICATION
- DEPLETION OF WATER RESOURCES
- SOIL EROSION
- POLLUTION
- LOSS OF FARMERS
- POPULATION GROWTH
- DOMINANT SCIENTIFIC MYTHS
- MISSION STATEMENTS
- THE ROLE OF THE UNIVERSITY
- SUSTAINABILITY AS A GOAL
- CONCLUSION
- Index
- No. of pages: 272
- Language: English
- Edition: 1
- Published: February 14, 2006
- Imprint: Academic Press
- Paperback ISBN: 9780123705112
- eBook ISBN: 9780080461120
RZ
Robert L Zimdahl
Robert L. Zimdahl is a Professor of Weed Science at Colorado State University. He received his Ph.D. in Agronomy from Oregon State University. Among his many honors and awards, Dr. Zimdahl was elected a Fellow of the Weed Science Society of America in 1986 and currently serves as editor of that society’s journal, Weed Science. He has been a member of several international task forces and has authored a number of books and articles on the subject of weed science. He is the author of Fundamentals of Weed Science, and Six Chemicals that Changed Agriculture both from Elsevier.
Affiliations and expertise
Professor of Weed Science, Colorado State University, CO, USARead Agriculture's Ethical Horizon on ScienceDirect