Miljöpolitikens natur

• During the 1960s we get a new way of speaking of and writing about nature, an environmental discourse, whose special characteristics have not ufltil now been the object of systematic analyses. In this study the discourse is regarded, with structuralistic inspiration, as a generative force. The aim is to give an overall description of the environmental discourse and in particular to establish features in the discourse which are of great importance for the order which is valid for actions in the area. With this aim in mind, interest is especially directed towards the statements which expressively concern knowledge, values, the natural and the normal. The focus is on statements on nature and man's relationship to nature. Swedish environmental politics are the centre of interest in the study and thus are regarded as an expression of the environmental discourse. Also an investigation into citizens' conceptions has been carried out, with the help of a questionnaire. In the discourse nature is described, with some exceptions, as a machine being in itself without value. The values which it is linked with are spoken of as something which is ascribed to nature. Objects in nature can, just as parts in a machine, be transformed, replaced and many times price-tagged. The justification of existence coincides with usefulness and with the functions that nature offers. Each object, regardless of how it· is delimited and systemized, has its own value, or lack of value, determined by the importance it has for the maintenance of these functions. Furthermore, it becomes apparent that the ancient natura/law has returned and now exists side by side with the scientific practices which, once upon a time, were the cause of both it and its philosophical presumptions being banned. A fiercecontradiction exists between, on the one hand, the half hidden but still genuine natural law aspect of the discourse and, on the other hand, the strong dissociation from ethical naturalistic arguments of a natural law kind which characterize both contempory scientific and philosophical practices, as well asliberal political discourse. Thilt the natural law foundations are not formulated, in combination with the de-ideologizing and scientific manner in which the discourse presents its subject, means partlythat it remains unclear what constitutes the uttermost values and partly what constitutes questions dependent on interests and values, in spite oft he fact that such a field of questions obviously exists.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Annan samhällsvetenskap -- Tvärvetenskapliga studier inom samhällsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Other Social Sciences -- Social Sciences Interdisciplinary (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH AREAS

TVÄRVETENSKAPLIGA FORSKNINGSOMRÅDEN

Publikations- och innehållstyp

vet (ämneskategori)

dok (ämneskategori)