TOWARD AN ECOCENTRIC PHILOSOPHY OF ENERGY IN A TIME OF TRANSITION Giovanni Frigo, B.A, M.A. Dissertation Prepared for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOP HY UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS August 201 8 APPROVED: Adam Briggle, Committee Chair Vish Prasad, Committee Member Carl Mitcham, Committee Member Douglas Anderson, Committee Member and Chair of the Department of Philosophy and Religion David Holdeman, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences Victor Prybutok, Dean of the Toulouse Graduate School Frigo, Giovanni. Toward an Ecocentric Philosophy of Energy in a Time of Transition. Doctor of Philosophy (Philosophy), August 2018, 172 pp., 1 table, 2 figures, references, 332 titles. Ecocentrism is a philosophical position developed in the field of environmental philosophy that offers an alternative view of the complex relationships between humans and the nonhuman world. This dissertation develops an ecocentric philosophy of energy in order to account for a wider set of ethics and values dimensions involved in energy politics. It focuses especially on inter-species justice as a crucial missing element behind even those energy policies that seek to transition society from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. The goal is to develop an ecocentric philosophy of energy that accounts for the fundamental and deep ecological interdependences of human and nonhuman animals, plants, and other living and non- living beings. I start with an introduction and a summary of the chapters followed in chapter 2 by a clarification of the terms “paradigm” and “energy.” In chapter 3 I offer an exploration of the origins of the “energy paradigm” or the predominant understanding of energy that emerged during modernity (18th century onwards). The modern energy paradigm progressively became a “traditional” forma mentis that is nonetheless based on flawed presuppositions about the human- energy-nature relationship. I criticize the homogeneous, colonizing and hegemonic nature of this paradigm, unveil its tacit anthropocentric and instrumental assumptions, and show how it still fuels contemporary lifestyles and policy. Chapter 4 presents a literature review that traces the most significant contributions from the humanities (broadly construed to include social sciences such as anthropology and sociology) to the study of energy. In this chapter, I also focus on the scarcer yet relevant literature on energy’s metaphysical, ontological, and ethical dimensions. In chapter 5 I develop the theory of a radical, ecocentric philosophy of energy, building on the work of other ecocentric thinkers such as Holmes Rolston III, J. Baird Callicott, and Arne Naess. Chapter 6 suggests paths towards the realization, in praxis, of this ecocentric philosophy of energy. It provides the sketch of an “ecocentric energy ethic” to enhance an ecologically sustainable and inter-species just energy transition. This normative framework is intended as a flexible and nonetheless precise “moral compass” that supports an ecocentric turn in the human- energy-nature relationship. The energy ethic outlines key principles to evaluate the “morality” of energy policies, practices, and technologies. These principles can provide ethical guidance to energy practitioners (engaged consumers, energy users, educators, designers, and public policy makers) and thus contribute to the theoretical and practical achievement of an ecologically sound and inter-species just energy transition. Copyright 2018 by Giovanni Frigo ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This dissertation concludes a five-years journey made possible by a generous scholarship granted by the University of North Texas. First, I thank my advisor and friend Adam Briggle and his family. Adam has believed in me, pushed me to my limits, and helped me throughout the doctorate with endless support, life-changing experiences, and vibrant intellectual engagements. I thank my supportive Committee Members, Carl Mitcham, Douglas Anderson, and Vish Prasad for their patience, generosity, and guidance. Matt Story, Nancy Ellis, and Carla Parker helped me with patience and competence. Immense recognition and thanks go to my wife Elena who has constantly encouraged me to pursue this project through many challenging and busy times. I thank our four-legged children, Gaia and Pan, without whom I would have probably finished this project one year ago. This work is dedicated to the three of you. I am especially grateful to fellow graduate students Keith Maggie Brown, Ramiro Crego, Kelli Barr, Mahdi Ahmadi, Nora Ward, Jeff Gessas, Rika Tsuji, Benn Johnson and Professors Trish Glazebrook, J. Baird Callicott, Sarah Fredericks, Bob Frodeman, David Kaplan, and Pete Gunter. I am extremely thankful to my parents, Gloria and Renato, my sister Daniela, Tarek, and the three rascals Amir, Nour, and Omar. Thanks to Dino, Teresa, and Fabio for caring support and trust. Always nurturing our long-standing relationships from abroad, I thank alpine friends Alberto & Chiara, Ross & Adele, Claudio & Chiara, and Nicola Ambrosini. I am particularly thankful to our extended Italo-American Family, Daddy Billy Wade, Mamma Susan, and Zia Rossana, Andrea Principe Polegato, Maddi & Greg, and Hormat. A final thanks to some of the intellectuals who have inspired me intellectually: Ivan Illich, Albert Borgmann, Vaclav Smil, Günther Anders, Rachel Carson, Arne Naess, Aldo Leopold, Val Plumwood, Karen J. Warren, Henry D. Thoreau, Ralph W. Emerson, Benjamin Sovacool, Hans Jonas, the ancient Stoics, and good old Aristotle. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................................. iii LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES .............................................................................................. vi CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW ................................................................... 1 1.1 Ecocentric Environmental Philosophy and Ethics .................................................. 3 1.2 Energy Humanities.................................................................................................. 7 1.3 Philosophy of Technology and Energy Studies ...................................................... 9 1.4 High Energy Societies and the Conundrum of Energy Transition ....................... 15 1.5 Summary of the Chapters...................................................................................... 17 1.6 Relevance of this Work ......................................................................................... 19 CHAPTER 2. ENERGY PARADIGMS....................................................................................... 23 2.1 Paradigm: Terminological Clarification ............................................................... 23 2.1.1 Kuhn’s Paradigms ......................................................................................26 2.1.2 Borgmann’s Device Paradigm ...................................................................29 2.2 Energy: Etymological and Semantic Considerations ............................................ 31 2.3 Characteristics of the Modern Energy Paradigm .................................................. 39 2.3.1 Anthropocentrism and Instrumental Value ................................................40 2.3.2 Mechanization, Machines, and Magic .......................................................44 2.3.3 Quantification and Mathematization ..........................................................49 CHAPTER 3. EMERGENCE AND DIFFUSION OF THE ENERGY PARADIGM ................. 53 3.1 Origin and Homogenization of the Modern Energy Paradigm ............................. 55 3.2 Colonization and Hegemony of the Traditional Energy Paradigm ....................... 64 CHAPTER 4. HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES ON ENERGY: A REVIEW ............ 72 4.1 Social Sciences I: Anthropology and Ethnography of Energy ............................. 76 4.2 Social Sciences II: Energy Justice ........................................................................ 85 4.3 Energy Studies ...................................................................................................... 87 4.4 Energy Humanities................................................................................................ 90 4.5 Religious Studies .................................................................................................. 93 4.6 Philosophy and Ethics ........................................................................................... 96 iv 4.7 Conferences and Interdisciplinary Projects ........................................................ 105 CHAPTER 5. THEORY OF AN ECOCENTRIC PHILOSOPHY OF ENERGY ..................... 109 5.1 The Challenge of Ecomodernism........................................................................ 111 5.2 The Theoretical Foundations of an Ecocentric Philosophy of Energy ............... 115 5.3 Anthropocentrism, Ecology, and Ecocentrism ................................................... 118 5.3.1 When Ecology Studies Energy Like Physics ...........................................119 5.3.2 Anthropocentrism vs Ecocentrism ...........................................................123 5.4 The Necessary Balance between Instrumental and Intrinsic Values .................. 126 5.5 A Holistic and More Qualitative View of Energy .............................................. 128 CHAPTER 6. FROM THEORY TO PRAXIS: DEVELOPING THE ENERGY ETHIC ⁕ ....... 131 6.1 The Foundations of the Energy Ethic ................................................................