Abstract

In an effort to define the nature of sustainable development, it is important to determine the goal toward which development is, or should be, aimed. Since this question necessarily involves either an overt or implied expression of ethical theory to guide the development process, there is a need to place development in moral focus. This thesis represents the first stage in an attempt to describe an Aristotelian approach to the ethics of sustainable development. I begin by arguing that Aristotle's philosophy is in no way precluded from expressing environmental concern. The fact that Aristotle himself did not directly express an interest in environmental protection or preservation should not be taken to mean that his moral philosophy is irrelevant or inadequate in our efforts to clarify the morality of ecological sustainability. On the contrary, as I try to express throughout the remainder of this thesis, the philosophical perspective of the Aristotelian tradition seems well suited for any discussion involving the sustainability of Nature or natural resources, and should be of interest to us. The primary basis for my argument rests upon the contextual character of Aristotle's moral philosophy. In other words, the good life in an Aristotelian framework cannot be achieved in abstraction of our environmental circumstances, and is in fact dependent upon favorable environmental conditions to be realizable at all. I further argue that there is a basis for considering the well being of the nonhuman world for their own sake as a manifestation of what Aristotle describes as 'self-love'. One token of self-love is that people of good character may have a justifiable reason to contribute to the well being of the natural world taken as a whole, even at the expense of human or personal well-being. Finally, I try to indicate that Aristotle's philosophy still has relevance in modern times, especially as it relates to the paradigm of sustainable development