Markku Oksanen is Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Kuopio, Finland. Juhani Pietarinen is Professor Emeritus of Practical Philosophy at the University of Turku, Finland.

'This collection is significant. Not only does it contain quite important and thoughtful essays by some of our most important and thoughtful conservation scholars, but the nuances that they adeptly articulate in their discussions of biodiversity are those that all environmental scholars, students, and activists should become familiar with.' Environmental Values

• List of figures and tables; List of contributors; Acknowledgements; Biodiversity considered philosophically: an introduction Markku Oksanen; Part I. Using 'Biodiversity': 1. The phenomenon of biodiversity Julia Koricheva and Helena Siipi; 2. Making the biodiversity crisis tractable: a process perspective Yrjö Haila; Part II. Understanding Biodiversity: 3. Plato on diversity and stability in nature Juhani Pietarinen; 4. Biodiversity, Darwin and the fossil record Kim Cuddington and Michael Ruse; 5. Biological diversity, ecological stability and downward causation Gregory M. Mikkelson; Part III. Valuing Biodiversity: 6. Jean-Jacques Rousseau: philosopher as botanist Finn Arler; 7. There is biodiversity and biodiversity: implications for environmental philosophy Keekok Lee; 8. Evaluating biodiversity for conservation: a victim of the traditional paradigm Peter R. Hobson and Jed Bultitude; 9. Limits to sustainability in nature conservation Dieter Birnbacher; Part IV. Protecting Biodiversity: 10. Biological diversity and conservation policy Kate Rawles; 11. Beavers and biodiversity: the ethics of ecological restoration Christian Gamborg and Peter Sandøe; 12. Differentiated responsibilities Robin Attfield; Index.