Prof. Matthias Fritsch Co-Edits New Book "Environmental Philosophy and East Asia"

Prof. Matthias Fritsch co-edited a new book, with Hiroshi Abe and Mario Wenning, "Environmental Philosophy and East Asia: Nature, Time, Responsibility" published by Routledge in 2022.

Abstract: This book explores the contributions of East Asian traditions, particularly Buddhism and Daoism, to environmental philosophy in dialogue with European philosophy. It critically examines the conceptions of human responsibility toward nature and across time presented within these traditions. The volume rethinks human relationships to the natural world by focusing on three main themes: Daoist and Eurodaoist perspectives on nature, human responsibility toward nature, and Buddhist perspectives on life and nature. By way of discussing East Asian traditions and European thinkers, this collection reveals that the impact of humanity on the environment is shaped not only by distinctive modes of economic production, but also by cultural beliefs and practices. Representing a unique constellation of environmental and intercultural philosophy, the contributions present systematic approaches to the global need for cultivating environmental responsibility across cultures and generations to address the political, ethical, and aesthetic challenges arising from humanity’s transformative impact on the natural world.

Matthias Fritsch is Professor of Philosophy at Concordia University. He is the author of Taking Turns with the Earth: Phenomenology, Deconstruction, and Intergenerational Justice (2018), co-editor of Eco-Deconstruction: Derrida and Environmental Philosophy with Phil Lynes and David Wood (2018) and The Promise of Memory: History and Politics in Marx, Benjamin, and Derrida (2005
). He regularly teaches social and political philosophy, environmental ethics, philosophy of history, and continental European philosophy.