Books

The notion of rewilding has gained popularity in recent years. Recovering wild nature is a bid to mitigate phenomena such as climate change, biodiversity loss or the deterioration of ecosystems. But rewilding is not in itself good or bad. There are different ways of understanding it and different contexts in which to practice it, so a critical reflection is needed to evaluate it morally.

Is it ethical to exterminate invasive species to prioritize the flourishing of an ecosystem? Is it justifiable to intensify and technologize human activities to leave nature more space without interference? Would we accept genetic engineering experiments with some species in order to undertake a de-extinction? If rewilding is about letting nature manage itself, should we help a suffering wild animal? These are not dichotomous questions that can be answered with a simple yes or no, but require a deep and multidimensional inquiry into the problem they raise.

Putting the benefits and detriments of rewilding in the moral balance involves paying attention to the latest scientific research and engaging in a philosophical debate. In a world charged with a plurality of attitudes and behaviors towards wilderness, an ethics of rewilding is urgently needed.

Events

• Book presentation at CCCB (Barcelona, Spain)
• Book presentation with Red Española de Filosofía + Traficantes de sueños (Madrid, Spain)
• Book presentation at University of Aguascalientes (México) seminar

Interviews

Book reviews

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Ensuring flourishing for all seems a long shot in the face of an eco-social crisis. To reduce developmental injustices, some thinkers have suggested seeking an “equality of human capabilities”. This book challenges this socio-political invitation by exploring the concept of “counter-capability”.

First, it discusses the background of cultural and historical meaning that may operate beneath a presumed individual capability. Second, it contextualises how some conflicts between capabilities arise in ecologically degraded environments dominated by the meat industry, critically analysing freedoms such as being healthy, being well nourished or consuming resources. And third, the adequacy of a theory of eco-social justice focused on recognition and the roles of domination exercised over human and non-human capabilities is contemplated.

The latter leads to exploring the promise of a “synergetic flourishing” that challenges individualism, anthropocentrism and short-termism. Without this thoughtful revision of our lifestyles and consumption, the drive to equalise human capabilities may lead to the collapse of the biological and moral foundations for just flourishing.

This book argues for the importance of caring for the interdependent relationships that, sometimes invisibly, intertwine us all.