
For 20 years Garrett Hardin has been our most hardnosed thinker about ecological problems...Filters Against Folly makes provocative reading." -- Michael CrichtonThe ecological problems facing our world present a forum for experts to offer slogans and solutions on all sides of the issue, but leave most of us confused and unsure of the future. In this bracing book, Garrett Hardin offers a plan for clear thinking about these dangers. He shows how the filters of literacy, understanding what words really mean; numeracy, being able to quantify and interpret information; and ecolacy, assessment of complex interactions over time, can allow anyone to make sensible judgments about ecological issues--even in the face of a barrage of confusing expertise."Filters Against Folly offers an antidote to some of the more perverse and dangerous irrationalities of our time: wishful self-delusion, educated incapacity, and foolhardy optimism...If ever this book were needed, it is needed today." -- Lynton K. Caldwell, School of Public Environmental Affairs, Indiana University
How can individuals navigate the complex, often contradictory advice provided by experts regarding ecological and economic crises? Garrett Hardin, a biologist and human ecologist, argues that the public is frequently misled by specialized experts who lack a holistic understanding of systemic consequences. He proposes a framework of three intellectual filters—literacy, numeracy, and ecolacy—to enable citizens to evaluate expert claims and avoid the pitfalls of wishful thinking and short-term policy errors.
What You Will Find
Scope Limits
Readers and scholars frequently note the provocative and challenging nature of Hardin's prose, which demands active engagement from the reader. Experts highlight this as a foundational text for those interested in the intersection of human ecology and public policy, noting its enduring relevance in an era of information overload.
Page Count:
256
Publication Date:
1986-06-03
Publisher:
Penguin Books
ISBN-10:
0140077294
ISBN-13:
9780140077292
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