Marilyn E. Garbutt

Chapter 8: 246- 273

In a broad attempt to provide a vision of the foundation and expansion of ecofeminism, Tong examines the subject as an offshoot and later development of the deep ecology movement arising in the late 1940's. Prior to the 17th century, the dominant traditions relating the human and earth-centered environmentalisms were primarily organic in focus. However, upon the commencement of the scientific revolution, these modes of thought generally shifted in such ways as to justify abuse and misuse of the environment through a more dominating and dualistic paradigm shift, appropriately deemed "shallow ecology." Reactions to these positions would later further encourage offshoots inclusive of several decidedly feminist perspectives.

The emphasis of the development of a particularly ecological feminist position was due in part to questions originating from dominant theories regarding male-female cultural constructions that did not address the possibility of parallel concerns between the nature of oppression inclusive of environmentalism, as well as "the fairer sex". In examining questions such as whether or not there exists a "special" relationship between women and nature, culture/nature polemics, gender relationships, and oppression theories, the author outlines the approaches of numerous major authors. Among others, the opinions and writings of Simone de Beauvoir, Rachael Carson, Aldo Leopold, Karen Warren, Sherry B.Ortner, Ynestra King, Mary Daly, Susan Griffin, and Starhawk are succinctly covered. These principal thinkers represent the various categories of ecofeminism that Tong discusses; nature or cultural, spiritual, social, social-constructionist, socialist, and transformative-socialist.

Tong does not neglect to address the various problems, criticism and responses these complex ideas vehemently generate, but she does recognize that all ecofeminists share some common ground. "All ecofeminists believe human beings are connected to one another and to the non-human world, animal, vegetal, and inert." (page 276) Significantly, the complexity of concerns and difficulties facing humanity and the natural environment, and given the increasing threats of pollution, deforestation, ozone degradation, domestic violence and economic disparity, militarism, the threat of nuclear proliferation and nihilism, Rosemarie Tong's Feminist Thought is a necessary voice in wilderness. The continued rise of a unified and fundamentally sound ecofeminism, which is inclusive of human and earth centered ideologies is both a critically sensitive and necessary condition to survival of not just the fittest, the strongest, or the powerful, but the dominant necessity for the essence of humanity; that which is good.