Teaching the ecocentric turn in economics with the assistance of philosophy

Carsten Herrmann-Pillath

Chapter 17 in Handbook of Teaching Philosophy to Economists, 2025, pp 210-221 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: This chapter outlines the author's didactic conclusions drawn from the experience of writing and teaching a textbook on general economics, which integrates strong elements of ecological economics. Although philosophy is not explicitly taught in terms of the academic discipline, it plays a vital role in helping students reflect on the practical economic challenges of climate change. A significant issue is the transition from anthropocentrism, which is central to conventional economics, to an ecocentric perspective. This ecocentrism takes two forms: ethical and methodological. Philosophical reflection on real-world issues demonstrates that ecocentrism can coexist with both standard economics and ecological economics. These complexities offer opportunities to incorporate philosophical concepts into the design of an integrative economics textbook. Controversial topics in practice stimulate philosophical reflection in the teaching of economics. This chapter provides two examples: the energy requirements of artificial intelligence and how these are conceptualized in growth theories, and the need to halt biodiversity loss by acknowledging the property rights of other species.

Keywords: Economics textbooks; Ecocentrism; Natural philosophy; Energy and growth; Speciesism in economics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
ISBN: 9781035336814
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