The Virtues of Sustainability

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Virtue and sustainable behavior : a psychological perspective / Susan Clayton -- The environmental psychology of pro-sustainability virtues / Victor Corral-Verdugo, Martha Frías-Armenta & Anais Ortiz-Valdez -- Aristotelian virtue education and education for sustainable development : prospects and problems / Matt Ferkany -- The emotional heart of environmental virtues / Cheryl Hall -- Jain dharma as a virtue ethics for sustainability / Pankaj Jain - Respect for nature : a virtue of Inupiaq values / Christine J. Cuomo -- Cooperativeness as a virtue of sustainability / Laura M. Hartman -- Patience and sustainability / Jason Kawall -- Treading lightly : conscientiousness, information, and ecological impacts / Steve Vanderheiden -- The roles of creativity and open-mindedness in implementing sustainable solutions / Sarah Wright.

"With a growing recognition of the potentially catastrophic impacts of human actions on current and future generations, people around the world are urgently seeking new, sustainable ways of life for themselves and their communities. What do these calls for a sustainable future mean for our current values and ways of life, and what kind of people will we need to become? Approaches to ethical living that emphasize good character and virtue are recently resurgent, and especially well-suited to addressing the challenges we face in pursuing sustainability. From rethinking excessive consumption, to appropriately respecting nature, to being resilient in the face of environmental injustice, our characters will be frequently tested. The virtues of sustainability - character traits enabling us to lead sustainable, flourishing lives - will be critical to our success. This volume, divided into three sections, brings together newly-commissioned essays by leading scholars from multiple disciplines - from philosophy and political science, to religious studies and psychology. The essays in the first section focus on key factors and structures that support the cultivation of the virtues of sustainability, while those in the second focus in particular on virtues embraced by various non-Western communities and cultures, and the worldviews that underlie them. Finally, the essays in the third section each address further particular virtues of sustainability, including cooperativeness, patience, conscientiousness, and creativity and open-mindedness. Together, these essays provide readers with a rich understanding of the importance and diversity of the virtues of sustainability, and practical guidance towards their cultivation and effective application"-- Provided by publisher.