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In
Philosophy for Gardeners, Kate Collyns uses aspects of gardening to introduce and explore a range of philosophical ideas and schools of thought.
List of contents
Introduction
Part 1: Soil
1.Mysteries of the soil
Plato's Cave & unobserved causes
2.Planning the Garden
Imposing our individual rule on the natural world
3.Natural harmonies
Becoming one with nature
4. Utilitarianism & the greater good
Fairness in the garden
5.What's in a name?
How important are definitions and accuracy?
Part 2: Growth
6.Evolution & the plant-pest arms race
Darwin & worries about genetic modification in plants
7. The kindness of plants
Game theory & why cooperation is best
8.Nature versus nurture
When is a blank slate not blank?
9.Photosynthesis: quantum biology in plants
Quantum physics in the garden
10.Weeding: Zeno's Paradox
How can change happen when distance & time are infinitely divisible?
Part 3: Harvest
11.The perfect tomato
Do ideal forms exist on a higher plane?
12.Art & beauty
Is beauty in the eye of the beholder?
13.Miracle berries: are senses reliable?
Is a lemon sweet or sour?
14.Minding your peas & cues
How can we know anything?
15.Wealth from the dirt
Economics & the origin of value
Part 4: Cycles
16.Methuselah trees
The Ship of Theseus identity paradox
17.Heaps of seeds
Logic & the sorites paradox
18.Composting: ultimate recycling
Entropy & reincarnation
19.In the shed: ethics & the pursuit of happiness
How to live the Good Life
20.The pragmatic gardener
Practical philosophy & getting off Buridan's Ass
Further Reading
Index
About the author
Kate Collyns is a gardener and philosopher. She set up her organic market garden at Hartley Farm in Wiltshire following her graduation of the Soil Association's Horticultural Apprenticeship in 2010. Kate has an MA in Philosophy from the University of London, and likes nothing better than to ponder the existential nature of the universe whilst weeding a bed of lettuce.
Summary
In Philosophy for Gardeners, Kate Collyns uses aspects of gardening to introduce and explore a range of philosophical ideas and schools of thought.
