Sustainability and Security within Liberal Societies

Much of the world will be living in broadly “liberal” societies for the foreseeable future. Sustainability and security, however defined, must therefore be considered in the context of such societies, yet there is very little significant literature that does so. Indeed, much ecologically-oriented literature is overtly anti-liberal, as have been some recent responses to security concerns. This book explores the implications for sustainability and security of a range of intellectual perspectives on liberalism, such as those offered by John Rawls, Robert Nozick, Frederick Hayek, Ronald Dworkin, Michael Oakeshott, Amartya Sen and Jürgen Habermas.

Author Biography

Stephen Gough is Deputy Director of the Centre for Research in Education and the Environment at the University of Bath. In addition to a wide portfolio of funded research, he has led geographical expeditions in Borneo and Papua New Guinea and is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. His many publications include Higher Education and Sustainable Development: Paradox and Possibility, published by Routledge in 2008. Andrew Stables is Professor of Education and Philosophy at the University of Bath. He has published widely on environmental literacy and the possibility of education for sustainable development, and is interested in the application of liberal theories in a postmodern context. Recent books include Education for Diversity: Making Differences (2003) and Living and Learning as Semiotic Engagement: A New Theory of Education (2005).