Piers H.G. Stephens, PhD Philosophy Department, University of Georgia, USA

Piers Stephens has worked in environmental philosophy for around thirty years. Originally from Britain, he now teaches the subject at the University of Georgia, USA, where he is an associate professor. With a wide background in work outside academia, he believes that philosophy originally begins in the fascination and wonder that we feel towards the world as children; the difficulty is in keeping that spirit going as we grow older. The need for a green transformation of society requires a rejuvenation of the spirit of questioning within our institutions, our practices and ourselves, and Piers sees philosophy as being a vitally informing part of that questioning. He tries to help his students see how awe, fascination, wonder and the inquisitive spirit work together in helping us understand and appreciate our world, and maintains that understanding the roles of our often unquestioned background beliefs and attitudes can help us work intelligently and constructively towards a better future for ourselves and the planet we share with so many others.

Workshop Title: Green

Philosophy: Getting Back Our Better Nature