Places are today subject to contrary tendencies. They lose some functions, which may scale up to fewer more centralized places, or down to numerous more dispersed places, and they gain other functions, which are scaling up and down from other places. This prompts premature prophecies of the abolition of space and the obsolescence of place. At the same time, a growing literature testifies to the persistence of place as an incorrigible aspect of human experience, identity, and morality. Place is a common ground for thought and action, a community of experienced particulars that avoids solipsism and universalism. It draws us into the philosophy of the ordinary, into familiarity as a form of knowledge, into the wisdom of proximity. Each of these essays offers a philosophy of place, and reminds us that such philosophies ultimately decide how we make, use, and understand places, whether as accidents, instruments, or fields of care.

About the Author
Andrew Light is assistant professor of philosophy and environmental studies at SUNY-Binghamton. Jonathan M. Smith is associate professor of geography at Texas A&M University.

Reviews
an illuminating examination of many of the issues implicated by the notion of place and space. . . . These articles serve to make this a fine introduction to the philosophy of place. -- Steve Wall, University of South Florida * Philosophy in Review *
...each contribution makes an interesting reading. * Environmental Politics *
The articles are academically rigorous, and the arguments are presented in clear language. . . . A solid and enjoyable introduction to the underlying and tectonic philosophical issues for those scientists working in environmental policy, conservation biology, or any ecology-centered field of study. -- M. C. E. Peterson, University of Wisconsin Colleges * CHOICE *



Book Information
ISBN 9780847690954
Author Andrew Light
Format Paperback
Page Count 320
Imprint Rowman & Littlefield
Publisher Rowman & Littlefield
Weight(grams) 481g
Dimensions(mm) 229mm * 153mm * 24mm