Interdisciplinary in approach, "Thinking Through the Environment" tells how the natural environment has been understood in the modern world and how this has been questioned in recent years as uncertainty and complexity are acknowledged in contemporary societies. The collection guides readers through conventional thought about how environmental rights and obligations to future generations, nonhuman animals, and the biotic communities. These essays lead readers into a critical examination of social and political theories and their capacity for drawing on ecological thought. Each of the seven sections is introduced by the editor, who contextualizes the set of readings within its specific themes and issues.