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Robin Attfield
MA (Oxon), PhD (Wales), DLitt (Cardiff)
Teams and roles for Robin Attfield
Emeritus Professor
School of Global Humanities
Overview
Robin Attfield is an Emeritus Professor of Philosophy (ENCAP) and also of the Sustainable Places Research Institute. He taught and researched areas of philosophy including ethics, philosophy of religion, history of philosophy and environmental philosophy from 1968 to 2009, and continues to work in these fields. He is the author or editor of 15 books and over 250 articles and chapters. His latest book is 'Environmental Ethics: A Very Short Introduction', published by Oxford University Press in 2018. His previous book was 'Wonder, Value and God', published initially by Ashgate in 2016, and now marketed by Routledge. He is currently seeing through the press a book to be called 'Environmental Thought: A Short History', due to be published by Polity Press (Cambridge), who are also the pulbishers of his textbook 'Environmental Ethics: An Overview for the Twenty-First Century' (second edition, 2014). He has received over 56,000 reads on ResesarchGate.
Publication
2026
- Attfield, R. 2026. Rolston and Hayes on environmental virtue ethics: Intrinsic natural value, moral motivation, and human-nature relationships. Studia Ecologiae et Bioethicae (10.21697/seb.5907)
- Attfield, R. 2026. A philosopher looks at the impacts of pollution on health. Studia Ecologiae et Bioethicae 24 (2), pp.25-35. (10.21697/seb.5884)
- Attfield, R. 2026. Historical awareness of human-originated environmental change. In: Zilli Viera, C. L. ed. The Impact of Anthropogenic Activities on the Natural Environment and Societies during the Contemporary Period. CRC Press. , pp.469-487. (10.1201/9781003231509-23)
2025
- Attfield, R. 2025. The beauty of nature in Western art and letters. In: Parsons, G. , Hettinger, N. and Shapshay, S. eds. Routledge Handbook of Nature and Environmental Aesthetics. Routledge. , pp.57-68. (10.4324/9781003302223-6)
2024
- Attfield, R. 2024. Evolution, evil, co-creation and the value of the world. Religions 15 (5) 615. (10.3390/rel15050615)
2022
- Attfield, R. 2022. Deep time and environmental ethics. Worldviews: Global Religions, Culture, Ecology 26 (3), pp.242-248. (10.1163/15685357-tat00004)
- Attfield, R. 2022. The place of animals in theodicy and in justice. Religions 13 (5) 450. (10.3390/rel13050450)
2021
- Attfield, R. 2021. Reasons for resisting Darwinism, and why they should not be credited. Open Theology 7 (1), pp.129-139. (10.1515/opth-2020-0153)
2016
- Attfield, R. 2016. Progress and directionality in science, the humanities, society and evolution. Journal of the Philosophy of History 10 (1), pp.29-50.
2014
- Attfield, R. 2014. Popper and Xenophanes. Philosophy 89 (1), pp.113-133. (10.1017/S0031819113000703)
2013
- Attfield, R. 2013. Biocentrism. In: LaFollette, H. ed. International Encyclopedia of Ethics. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell(10.1002/9781444367072)
2012
- Attfield, R. 2012. Moral standing, saving the planet and meaningful life. Dialogue: A Journal of Religion and Philosophy 38 , pp.36-40.
- Attfield, R. 2012. Synthetic biology, deontology and synthetic bioethics. Ethics, Policy and Environment 15 (1), pp.29-32. (10.1080/21550085.2012.672681)
- Attfield, R. 2012. Biocentrism and artificial life. Environmental Values 21 (1), pp.83-94. (10.3197/096327112X13225063228069)
- Attfield, R. 2012. Ethics: An overview. London: Continuum.
- Attfield, R. 2012. Required reading. Philosopher's Magazine 58 , pp.104-107.
- Attfield, R. 2012. Sustainability. In: LaFollette, H. ed. International Encyclopedia of Ethics. Malden: Wiley-Blackwell. , pp.5092-5101.
- Attfield, R. 2012. Evolution and Agapeistic Ethics. In: Harris, H. A. ed. God, Goodness and Philosophy. Farnham: Ashgate. , pp.123-130.
2011
- Attfield, R. 2011. Beyond anthropocentrism. In: O’Hear, A. and Rolston, H. eds. Philosophy and the Environment. Royal Institute of Philosophy supplement Vol. 69.Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. , pp.29-46.
- Attfield, R. 2011. Biocentrism. In: Allin, C. W. ed. Encyclopedia of Environmental Issues. Vol. 1, Pasadena, CA: Salem Press. , pp.146-147.
- Attfield, R. 2011. Brundtland Commission. In: Allin, C. W. ed. Encyclopedia of Environmental Issues. Vol. 1, Pasadena, CA: Salem Press. , pp.205.
- Attfield, R. 2011. Cultural Evolution, Sperber, Memes and Religion. Philosophical Inquiry (Thessaloniki) 35 (3-4), pp.36-55.
- Attfield, R. 2011. Darwin, Meaning and Value. Environmental Values 20 (3), pp.309-314. (10.3197/096327111X13077055165901)
- Attfield, R. 2011. Ecological Issues of Justice. In: Widdows, H. and Smith, N. eds. Global Social Justice. London and New York: Routledge. , pp.82-89.
- Attfield, R. 2011. Ecological issues of justice. In: Bergmann, S. and Eaton, H. eds. Ecological Awareness: Exploring Religion, Ethics and Aesthetics. Studies in Religion and the Environment Vol. 3.Berlin: LIT Verlag. , pp.183-191.
- Attfield, R. 2011. Environmental ethics. In: Clark, K. ed. Ethics in the Biosciences: Resources, References and Tools for Ethics Teaching in the Biosciences. Leeds: UK Centre for Bioscience Briefing. , pp.11.
- Attfield, R. 2011. Intrinsic value and transgenic animals. In: Vyas, M. A. ed. Issues in Ethics and Animal Rights. Delhi: Regency Publications. , pp.41-57.
- Attfield, R. 2011. Nolt, Future Harms and Future Quality of Life. Ethics, Policy and Environment 14 (1), pp.11-13. (10.1080/21550085.2011.561586)
- Attfield, R. 2011. Reflections on the Cancun Conference of 2010. Dilemata 6 , pp.47-51.
- Attfield, R. 2011. Schmidtz on Species Egalitarianism: a comment on David Schmidtz, ‘On Respecting Everything'. Ethics, Policy and Environment 14 (2), pp.139-141. (10.1080/21550085.2011.578361)
- Attfield, R. 2011. Sober, Environmentalists, Species and Ignorance. Environmental Ethics 33 (3), pp.307-316.
2010
- Attfield, R. 2010. Creation, Environment and Ethics: Some Cardiff-Based Contributions to Philosophy. In: Humphreys, R. and Vlacos, S. eds. Creation, Ethics and Environment. Cambridge: Cambridge Scholars Press. , pp.1-12.
- Attfield, R. 2010. Reply to Crisp. In: Humphreys, R. and Vlacos, S. eds. Creation, Ethics and Environment. Cambridge: Cambridge Scholars Press. , pp.97-104.
- Attfield, R. 2010. Reply to Dower. In: Humphreys, R. and Vlacos, S. eds. Creation, Ethics and Environment. Cambridge: Cambridge Scholars Press. , pp.33-37.
- Attfield, R. 2010. Reply to Holland. In: Humphreys, R. and Vlacos, S. eds. Creation, Ethics and Environment. Cambridge: Cambridge Scholars Press. , pp.53-60.
- Attfield, R. 2010. Reply to Palmer. In: Humphreys, R. and Vlacos, S. eds. Creation, Ethics and Environment. Cambridge: Cambridge Scholars Press. , pp.121-127.
- Attfield, R. 2010. Reply to Southgate. In: Humphreys, R. and Vlacos, S. eds. Creation, Ethics and Environment. Cambridge: Cambridge Scholars Press. , pp.75-85.
2009
- Attfield, R. 2009. 'Biocentrism'; 'Hunger'; 'Lynn White, Jr, 1907-1987'. In: Callicott, J. and Frodeman, R. eds. Encyclopedia of Environmental Ethics and Philosophy. Vol. 1, Detroit, MI: Macmillan Reference USA. , pp.97-100; 495.
- Attfield, R. 2009. Ecological Issues of Justice. Journal of Global Ethics 5 (2), pp.147-54.
- Attfield, R. 2009. Mediated Responsibilities, Global Warming and the Scope of Ethics. Journal of Social Philosophy 40 (2), pp.225-36.
- Attfield, R. 2009. Murray, Michael: Nature, red in tooth and claw: theism and the problem of animal suffering - 224pp, Oxford University Press, 2008, Hardback, ISBN 9780199237272 [Book review]. Reviews in Science and Religion 53 , pp.37-40.
- Attfield, R. 2009. Non-Reciprocal Responsibilities and the Banquet of the Kingdom. Journal of Global Ethics 5 (1), pp.33-41.
- Attfield, R. 2009. Philosophy on poetry, philosophy in poetry. In: Yan, J. and Shrader, D. eds. Creating a Global Dialogue on Value Inquiry. Lewiston, NY; Lampeter, UK: Edwin Mellen Press. , pp.417-32.
- Attfield, R. 2009. Social history, religion, and technology: An interdisciplinary investigation into Lynn White, Jr.'s "Roots". Environmental Ethics 31 (1), pp.31-50.
2008
- Attfield, R. ed. 2008. The ethics of the environment. The International Library of Essays in Public and Professional Ethics Farnham: Ashgate.
- Attfield, R. 2008. Beyond the Earth Charter: taking possible people seriously. Environmental Ethics 29 (4), pp.359-367.
- Attfield, R. 2008. Cudworth, Prior and Passmore on the autonomy of ethics. In: Hutton, S. and Hedley Brooke, J. eds. Platonism at the Origins of Modernity. Berlin: Springer. , pp.147-159.
- Attfield, R. 2008. The ethics of the environment. Ashgate.
2006
- Attfield, R. 2006. The shape of a global ethic. Philosophy and Social Criticism 32 (1), pp.5-19. (10.1177/0191453706059843)
- Attfield, R. 2006. Creation, evolution and meaning. Transcending Boundaries in Philosophy and Theology Aldershot: Ashgate.
2005
- Attfield, R. 2005. Leibniz, the cause of gravity and physical theology. Studia Leibnitiana 37 (2), pp.238-244.
2004
- Attfield, R. 2004. Rousseau, Clarke, Butler and critiques of Deism. British Journal for the History of Philosophy 12 (3), pp.429-443. (10.1080/0960878042000253097)
2001
- Attfield, R. 2001. Postmodernism, values and objectivity. Environmental Values 10 (2), pp.145-162.
2000
- Attfield, R. 2000. Christianity and nature. In: Jamieson, D. ed. A Companion to Environmental Philosophy. John Wiley & Sons. , pp.96-110.
1991
- Attfield, R. 1991. Has the history of philosophy ruined the environment?. Environmental Ethics 13 (2), pp.127-137.
1985
- Attfield, R. 1985. Balthasar Bekker and the decline of the witch-craze: The old demonology and the new philosophy. Annals of Science 42 (4), pp.383-395. 2. (10.1080/00033798500200421)
1983
- Attfield, R. 1983. Christian attitudes to nature. Journal of the History of Ideas 44 (3), pp.369-386.
1977
- Attfield, R. 1977. Clarke, Collins and compounds. Journal of the History of Philosophy 15 (1), pp.45-54. (10.1353/hph.2008.0087)
1971
- Attfield, R. 1971. Talents, abilities and virtues. Philosophy: The Journal of the Royal Institute of Philosophy 46 (177), pp.255-258. (10.1017/S0031819100019008)
1970
- Attfield, R. 1970. Berkeley and imagination. Philosophy 45 (173), pp.237-239. (10.1017/S0031819100063154)
Articles
- Attfield, R. 2026. Rolston and Hayes on environmental virtue ethics: Intrinsic natural value, moral motivation, and human-nature relationships. Studia Ecologiae et Bioethicae (10.21697/seb.5907)
- Attfield, R. 2026. A philosopher looks at the impacts of pollution on health. Studia Ecologiae et Bioethicae 24 (2), pp.25-35. (10.21697/seb.5884)
- Attfield, R. 2024. Evolution, evil, co-creation and the value of the world. Religions 15 (5) 615. (10.3390/rel15050615)
- Attfield, R. 2022. Deep time and environmental ethics. Worldviews: Global Religions, Culture, Ecology 26 (3), pp.242-248. (10.1163/15685357-tat00004)
- Attfield, R. 2022. The place of animals in theodicy and in justice. Religions 13 (5) 450. (10.3390/rel13050450)
- Attfield, R. 2021. Reasons for resisting Darwinism, and why they should not be credited. Open Theology 7 (1), pp.129-139. (10.1515/opth-2020-0153)
- Attfield, R. 2016. Progress and directionality in science, the humanities, society and evolution. Journal of the Philosophy of History 10 (1), pp.29-50.
- Attfield, R. 2014. Popper and Xenophanes. Philosophy 89 (1), pp.113-133. (10.1017/S0031819113000703)
- Attfield, R. 2012. Moral standing, saving the planet and meaningful life. Dialogue: A Journal of Religion and Philosophy 38 , pp.36-40.
- Attfield, R. 2012. Synthetic biology, deontology and synthetic bioethics. Ethics, Policy and Environment 15 (1), pp.29-32. (10.1080/21550085.2012.672681)
- Attfield, R. 2012. Biocentrism and artificial life. Environmental Values 21 (1), pp.83-94. (10.3197/096327112X13225063228069)
- Attfield, R. 2012. Required reading. Philosopher's Magazine 58 , pp.104-107.
- Attfield, R. 2011. Cultural Evolution, Sperber, Memes and Religion. Philosophical Inquiry (Thessaloniki) 35 (3-4), pp.36-55.
- Attfield, R. 2011. Darwin, Meaning and Value. Environmental Values 20 (3), pp.309-314. (10.3197/096327111X13077055165901)
- Attfield, R. 2011. Nolt, Future Harms and Future Quality of Life. Ethics, Policy and Environment 14 (1), pp.11-13. (10.1080/21550085.2011.561586)
- Attfield, R. 2011. Reflections on the Cancun Conference of 2010. Dilemata 6 , pp.47-51.
- Attfield, R. 2011. Schmidtz on Species Egalitarianism: a comment on David Schmidtz, ‘On Respecting Everything'. Ethics, Policy and Environment 14 (2), pp.139-141. (10.1080/21550085.2011.578361)
- Attfield, R. 2011. Sober, Environmentalists, Species and Ignorance. Environmental Ethics 33 (3), pp.307-316.
- Attfield, R. 2009. Ecological Issues of Justice. Journal of Global Ethics 5 (2), pp.147-54.
- Attfield, R. 2009. Mediated Responsibilities, Global Warming and the Scope of Ethics. Journal of Social Philosophy 40 (2), pp.225-36.
- Attfield, R. 2009. Murray, Michael: Nature, red in tooth and claw: theism and the problem of animal suffering - 224pp, Oxford University Press, 2008, Hardback, ISBN 9780199237272 [Book review]. Reviews in Science and Religion 53 , pp.37-40.
- Attfield, R. 2009. Non-Reciprocal Responsibilities and the Banquet of the Kingdom. Journal of Global Ethics 5 (1), pp.33-41.
- Attfield, R. 2009. Social history, religion, and technology: An interdisciplinary investigation into Lynn White, Jr.'s "Roots". Environmental Ethics 31 (1), pp.31-50.
- Attfield, R. 2008. Beyond the Earth Charter: taking possible people seriously. Environmental Ethics 29 (4), pp.359-367.
- Attfield, R. 2006. The shape of a global ethic. Philosophy and Social Criticism 32 (1), pp.5-19. (10.1177/0191453706059843)
- Attfield, R. 2005. Leibniz, the cause of gravity and physical theology. Studia Leibnitiana 37 (2), pp.238-244.
- Attfield, R. 2004. Rousseau, Clarke, Butler and critiques of Deism. British Journal for the History of Philosophy 12 (3), pp.429-443. (10.1080/0960878042000253097)
- Attfield, R. 2001. Postmodernism, values and objectivity. Environmental Values 10 (2), pp.145-162.
- Attfield, R. 1991. Has the history of philosophy ruined the environment?. Environmental Ethics 13 (2), pp.127-137.
- Attfield, R. 1985. Balthasar Bekker and the decline of the witch-craze: The old demonology and the new philosophy. Annals of Science 42 (4), pp.383-395. 2. (10.1080/00033798500200421)
- Attfield, R. 1983. Christian attitudes to nature. Journal of the History of Ideas 44 (3), pp.369-386.
- Attfield, R. 1977. Clarke, Collins and compounds. Journal of the History of Philosophy 15 (1), pp.45-54. (10.1353/hph.2008.0087)
- Attfield, R. 1971. Talents, abilities and virtues. Philosophy: The Journal of the Royal Institute of Philosophy 46 (177), pp.255-258. (10.1017/S0031819100019008)
- Attfield, R. 1970. Berkeley and imagination. Philosophy 45 (173), pp.237-239. (10.1017/S0031819100063154)
Book sections
- Attfield, R. 2026. Historical awareness of human-originated environmental change. In: Zilli Viera, C. L. ed. The Impact of Anthropogenic Activities on the Natural Environment and Societies during the Contemporary Period. CRC Press. , pp.469-487. (10.1201/9781003231509-23)
- Attfield, R. 2025. The beauty of nature in Western art and letters. In: Parsons, G. , Hettinger, N. and Shapshay, S. eds. Routledge Handbook of Nature and Environmental Aesthetics. Routledge. , pp.57-68. (10.4324/9781003302223-6)
- Attfield, R. 2013. Biocentrism. In: LaFollette, H. ed. International Encyclopedia of Ethics. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell(10.1002/9781444367072)
- Attfield, R. 2012. Sustainability. In: LaFollette, H. ed. International Encyclopedia of Ethics. Malden: Wiley-Blackwell. , pp.5092-5101.
- Attfield, R. 2012. Evolution and Agapeistic Ethics. In: Harris, H. A. ed. God, Goodness and Philosophy. Farnham: Ashgate. , pp.123-130.
- Attfield, R. 2011. Beyond anthropocentrism. In: O’Hear, A. and Rolston, H. eds. Philosophy and the Environment. Royal Institute of Philosophy supplement Vol. 69.Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. , pp.29-46.
- Attfield, R. 2011. Biocentrism. In: Allin, C. W. ed. Encyclopedia of Environmental Issues. Vol. 1, Pasadena, CA: Salem Press. , pp.146-147.
- Attfield, R. 2011. Brundtland Commission. In: Allin, C. W. ed. Encyclopedia of Environmental Issues. Vol. 1, Pasadena, CA: Salem Press. , pp.205.
- Attfield, R. 2011. Ecological Issues of Justice. In: Widdows, H. and Smith, N. eds. Global Social Justice. London and New York: Routledge. , pp.82-89.
- Attfield, R. 2011. Ecological issues of justice. In: Bergmann, S. and Eaton, H. eds. Ecological Awareness: Exploring Religion, Ethics and Aesthetics. Studies in Religion and the Environment Vol. 3.Berlin: LIT Verlag. , pp.183-191.
- Attfield, R. 2011. Environmental ethics. In: Clark, K. ed. Ethics in the Biosciences: Resources, References and Tools for Ethics Teaching in the Biosciences. Leeds: UK Centre for Bioscience Briefing. , pp.11.
- Attfield, R. 2011. Intrinsic value and transgenic animals. In: Vyas, M. A. ed. Issues in Ethics and Animal Rights. Delhi: Regency Publications. , pp.41-57.
- Attfield, R. 2010. Creation, Environment and Ethics: Some Cardiff-Based Contributions to Philosophy. In: Humphreys, R. and Vlacos, S. eds. Creation, Ethics and Environment. Cambridge: Cambridge Scholars Press. , pp.1-12.
- Attfield, R. 2010. Reply to Crisp. In: Humphreys, R. and Vlacos, S. eds. Creation, Ethics and Environment. Cambridge: Cambridge Scholars Press. , pp.97-104.
- Attfield, R. 2010. Reply to Dower. In: Humphreys, R. and Vlacos, S. eds. Creation, Ethics and Environment. Cambridge: Cambridge Scholars Press. , pp.33-37.
- Attfield, R. 2010. Reply to Holland. In: Humphreys, R. and Vlacos, S. eds. Creation, Ethics and Environment. Cambridge: Cambridge Scholars Press. , pp.53-60.
- Attfield, R. 2010. Reply to Palmer. In: Humphreys, R. and Vlacos, S. eds. Creation, Ethics and Environment. Cambridge: Cambridge Scholars Press. , pp.121-127.
- Attfield, R. 2010. Reply to Southgate. In: Humphreys, R. and Vlacos, S. eds. Creation, Ethics and Environment. Cambridge: Cambridge Scholars Press. , pp.75-85.
- Attfield, R. 2009. 'Biocentrism'; 'Hunger'; 'Lynn White, Jr, 1907-1987'. In: Callicott, J. and Frodeman, R. eds. Encyclopedia of Environmental Ethics and Philosophy. Vol. 1, Detroit, MI: Macmillan Reference USA. , pp.97-100; 495.
- Attfield, R. 2009. Philosophy on poetry, philosophy in poetry. In: Yan, J. and Shrader, D. eds. Creating a Global Dialogue on Value Inquiry. Lewiston, NY; Lampeter, UK: Edwin Mellen Press. , pp.417-32.
- Attfield, R. 2008. Cudworth, Prior and Passmore on the autonomy of ethics. In: Hutton, S. and Hedley Brooke, J. eds. Platonism at the Origins of Modernity. Berlin: Springer. , pp.147-159.
- Attfield, R. 2000. Christianity and nature. In: Jamieson, D. ed. A Companion to Environmental Philosophy. John Wiley & Sons. , pp.96-110.
Books
- Attfield, R. 2012. Ethics: An overview. London: Continuum.
- Attfield, R. ed. 2008. The ethics of the environment. The International Library of Essays in Public and Professional Ethics Farnham: Ashgate.
- Attfield, R. 2008. The ethics of the environment. Ashgate.
- Attfield, R. 2006. Creation, evolution and meaning. Transcending Boundaries in Philosophy and Theology Aldershot: Ashgate.
Research
Robin Attfield's research concerns ethics, philosophy of religion, history of ideas and environmental philosophy.
One recently published book is Creation, Evolution and Meaning, an interdisciplinary work bestriding the philosophies of religion, science and meaning and environmental ethics, published by Ashgate in 2006.
His previous book was Environmental Ethics: An Overview for the Twenty-First Century(Polity/Blackwell, 2003). His edited collection The Ethics of the Environment was published by Ashgate in 2008.
Research Interests
- environmental philosophy (most branches)
- ethics (including history of ethics)
- history of ideas (seventeenth and eighteenth centuries)
- philosophy of religion (religious language and theistic arguments)
Biography
Robin studied philosophy, classics and ancient history at Christ Church, Oxford and Theology at Regent's Park College, Oxford, undertook research at Manchester University, and has been lecturing in Philosophy at Cardiff since January 1968. He has also taught in Nigeria (1972-3) and in Kenya (1975). His Wales PhD was completed in 1972, and he has been a Professor of Philosophy from 1992.
His DLitt was awarded by Cardiff University in 2008.
He is a member of the Council of the Royal Institute of Philosophy, and was until recently a co-opted member of the Executive Committee of the British Philosophical Association. He is chair of the Cardiff Branch of the Royal Institute of Philosophy, and has participated recently in a UNESCO international working party on Environmental Ethics.