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Explain how liberal ideology about land resources exploitation are being called into question by alternative way of thinking, such as an environmentalism?

5 years ago

Answered By Kye K

Classical Liberal thinkers, and as consequence, Modern Liberalist thinkers, are largely influenced by the ideas of John Locke, who argued in the Second Treatise of Gov't that man had a right to ownership of Property including resources and land. This argument claimed further that as owners, the claimants could exercise control over Properties.

In today's context, modern Envrionmentalism argues that this line of thinking can lead to exploitive practices with regards to land and resources. Since all humans depend on the environment for, say, the production of oxygen and clean air through healthy forest systems, it is no single person's right to decide how the forests are managed.

Environmentalists might not argue that Locke was wrong. But that Locke is arguing from a specific historical period. Consequently, his ideas were valid in their day when the consequences of global deforestation and consequently the loss of a gigantic Carbon sink and ecosystem wasn't a reality. Or that Ocean collapse wasn't even conceivable because the technology for such vast over-fishin wasn't possible. Today's context is different and therefore Environmentalists might argue that less libertarian and more collective stewardship of the Earth and its resources are necessary.