Scientific and Religious Influences on American Environmentalism

University Of California-Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara CA

Investigators

Abstract

The project involves an empirical and philosophical analysis of the relative influence of science and religion in recent American popular environmental concern. The empirical component of the project involves development, administration, and statistical analysis of a U.S. adult sample survey designed to obtain information on the connections between public views of science, popular religiosity and spirituality, and extent and form of environmental concern, as expressed in relevant attitudes, practices, and policy priorities. The empirical analysis seeks to explain these connections by drawing upon theory and methodology from recent research on human values. The aim of the philosophical analysis is to broadly understand and critically evaluate the metaphysical, epistemological, and ethical premises of major positions on science and religion in the context of environmental concern, ultimately as a means of reconstructing the optimal roles science and religion can play in informing environmental concern. The project will result in an empirically-based, up-to-date, critically-informed understanding of environmental pluralism in America, in particular the scientific and religious motivations of different forms of American environmental concern. It will offer theoretical advancement on the role of values in environmental attitudes, practice, and policy priorities, as well as empirically-grounded philosophical insights into the relationship between science and religion, leading to clarification of their appropriate bounds and optimal contribution to contemporary policy. It will also produce a robust, up-to-date dataset on American values, environmental attitudes and practice, and other characteristics available for further social scientific analysis by other researchers.