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How to be an ecological economist

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  • Faber, Malte

Abstract

To answer the question "How to be an Ecological Economist", we must start by defining the field of Ecological Economics. Mainstream Economics altogether lacks the concepts required to deal adequately with nature, justice and time. It was the absence of these three concepts in this otherwise great social science that led to the establishment of Ecological Economics. The interest in nature, justice and time is its defining characteristic. The main thesis of this paper is that our field is a fragile institution and that the professional existence of an ecological economist is no less fragile. However, this very fragility also represents freedom, scope for free thinking, conceptualising and research. Nevertheless, to be able to really use and in turn enjoy the full scope of this freedom, an ecological economist needs certain specific characteristics, in particular what is termed in the German philosophical tradition "Urteilskraft" and in English "power of judgement". A description of these characteristics is developed in this paper, providing an answer to the question "How to be an ecological economist?"

Suggested Citation

  • Faber, Malte, 2008. "How to be an ecological economist," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 66(1), pages 1-7, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolec:v:66:y:2008:i:1:p:1-7
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    Cited by:

    1. Baumgärtner, Stefan & Becker, Christian & Frank, Karin & Müller, Birgit & Quaas, Martin, 2008. "Relating the philosophy and practice of ecological economics: The role of concepts, models, and case studies in inter- and transdisciplinary sustainability research," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 67(3), pages 384-393, October.
    2. Faber, Malte & Petersen, Thomas & Frick, Marc & Zahrnt, Dominik, 2018. "MINE – Mapping the Interplay between Nature and Economy. A digital gateway to the foundations of Ecological Economics," Working Papers 0658, University of Heidelberg, Department of Economics.
    3. Ulgiati, Sergio & Zucaro, Amalia & Franzese, Pier Paolo, 2011. "Shared wealth or nobody's land? The worth of natural capital and ecosystem services," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(4), pages 778-787, February.
    4. Clarisse Cazals & A. Rivaud, 2014. "Sectoral heritage and performances of aquaculture [Patrimoine sectoriel et performances le cas de l'aquaculture]," Post-Print hal-01581325, HAL.
    5. Clive L. Spash, 2012. "Ecological Economics and Philosophy of Science: Ontology, Epistemology, Methodology and Ideology," SRE-Disc sre-disc-2012_03, Institute for Multilevel Governance and Development, Department of Socioeconomics, Vienna University of Economics and Business.
    6. Klauer, Bernd & Manstetten, Reiner & Petersen, Thomas & Schiller, Johannes, 2013. "The art of long-term thinking: A bridge between sustainability science and politics," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 79-84.
    7. Teixeira, Aurora A. C. & Castro e Silva, Manuela, 2015. "Relational environment and intellectual roots of 'ecological economics': An orthodox or heterodox field of research?," Economics Discussion Papers 2015-52, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    8. Faber, Malte & Frick, Marc, 2019. "Conceptual and political foundations for examining the interaction between nature and economy," Working Papers 0659, University of Heidelberg, Department of Economics.
    9. Antoni Fonseca i Casas & Pau Fonseca i Casas & Josep Casanovas, 2016. "Analysis of Applications to Improve the Energy Savings in Residential Buildings Based on Systemic Quality Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(10), pages 1-18, October.
    10. Kastenhofer, Karen & Bechtold, Ulrike & Wilfing, Harald, 2011. "Sustaining sustainability science: The role of established inter-disciplines," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(4), pages 835-843, February.
    11. Ingebrigtsen, Stig & Jakobsen, Ove, 2009. "Moral development of the economic actor," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(11), pages 2777-2784, September.
    12. Voloshinskaya, Anna A. (Волошинская, Анна А.) & Komarov, Vladimir M. (Комаров, Владимир М.) & Kotsyubinskiy, Vladimir A. (Коцюбинский, Владимир), 2017. "Contemporary Theories of Sustainable Development: Approaches, Methodology, Practical Recommendations [Современные Теории Устойчивого Развития: Подходы, Методология, Прикладные Рекомендации]," Working Papers 021702, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration.
    13. Farrell, Katharine N. & Silva-Macher, Jose Carlos, 2017. "Exploring Futures for Amazonia's Sierra del Divisor: An Environmental Valuation Triadics Approach to Analyzing Ecological Economic Decision Choices in the Context of Major Shifts in Boundary Condition," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 166-179.
    14. Becker, Christian & Ewringmann, Dieter & Faber, Malte & Petersen, Thomas & Zahrnt, Angelika, 2012. "Endangering the natural basis of life is unjust. On the status and future of the sustainability discourse," Working Papers 0527, University of Heidelberg, Department of Economics.
    15. Antonio Pacifico, 2023. "The Impact of Socioeconomic and Environmental Indicators on Economic Development: An Interdisciplinary Empirical Study," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 16(5), pages 1-16, May.
    16. Lo, Alex, 2014. "The Problem of Methodological Pluralism in Ecological Economics," MPRA Paper 49543, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    17. Purkus, Alexandra & Gawel, Erik & Thrän, Daniela, 2012. "Bioenergy governance between market and government failures: A new institutional economics perspective," UFZ Discussion Papers 13/2012, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Division of Social Sciences (ÖKUS).
    18. Spash, Clive L., 2013. "The shallow or the deep ecological economics movement?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 351-362.
    19. Zhen Wang & Bo Yang & Shujuan Li & Chris Binder, 2016. "Economic Benefits: Metrics and Methods for Landscape Performance Assessment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(5), pages 1-12, April.
    20. Otero, Iago & Kallis, Giorgos & Aguilar, Raül & Ruiz, Vicenç, 2011. "Water scarcity, social power and the production of an elite suburb: The political ecology of water in Matadepera, Catalonia," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(7), pages 1297-1308, May.
    21. repec:awi:wpaper:659 is not listed on IDEAS
    22. Spash, Clive L., 2012. "New foundations for ecological economics," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 36-47.

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