1. Agrarian Ideals and Practices: Comments on Paul B. Thompson’s The Agrarian Vision
- Author
-
Lee A. Mcbride
- Subjects
History ,Virtue ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Character (symbol) ,Environmental ethics ,Agricultural and Biological Sciences (miscellaneous) ,Ideal (ethics) ,Human animal bond ,Agrarianism ,Agrarian society ,Pet therapy ,Law ,Environmental Chemistry ,Sociology ,Obligation ,General Environmental Science ,media_common - Abstract
In The Agrarian Vision, Thompson argues that a better appreciation of agrarian ideals could lead to a more virtuous, more sustainable way of life. While I agree with Thompson in many respects, there are some aspects of the book that I question and others that I would like to hear Thompson explicate in greater detail. In this paper, I question Thompson’s claim that agrarian farmers and farming communities serve as ideal models of virtuous habits and good character. I challenge Thompson’s use of virtue theory, particularly the notion that farming virtues can be acquired without participating in farming practices. In the end, I make the point that Thompson seems to vacillate between being realistic and being idealistic, which may seriously complicate our notions of responsibility and obligation in practice.
- Published
- 2011