Ecological Justice

Abstract

AbstractHumanity lives in a sea of politics as fish live in water. The human ecological niche is inherently political. That people decide for themselves (and, therefore, cooperating requires negotiation) is a political fact. People share an interest in avoiding collision but otherwise have destinations of their own. Justice, even as an ideal, is never about pretending otherwise. Since people began to settle in large communities, being of one mind has not been an option. Even diverse ideas about how to resolve conflict are a source of conflict. And, disturbing though it may be for a theorist to admit it, theories do not help. It is a political fact that everyone lives among people who have theories of their own, who do not find each other’s theories compelling, and who are perfectly aware that there is no reason why they should.