Green political philosophy

5. Conclusion

The task of a green political philosophy is twofold. It is critical in that it aims to expose and criticize the flaws, fallacies and contradictions that lurk in conventional ways of thinking about human beings and their proper place in the natural world. And it is constructive in that it aims to sketch the contours and outline the institutions of a society that values the natural world, practises sustainability and concerns itself with the longer-term consequences of present-day policies and practices. Much of the critical groundwork has now been laid, but the task of constructing a coherent, systematic and persuasive political philosophy has only just begun, and remains a task for the twenty-first century.