William Ophuls, the pen name of Patrick Ophuls, (born 1934) is an American political scientist, ecologist, independent scholar and author. He is known for his pioneering role in the modern environmental movement. His work focuses on some of the ecological, social, and political implications of modern industrial civilization.
Biography
Born in 1934, Ophuls obtained his AB in oriental studies from Princeton University in 1955. Eighteen years later, in 1973, he obtained his PhD in political science from Yale University.
After his graduation from Princeton, Ophuls served in the U.S. Coast Guard as an officer for four years. After his discharge, he served for the next eight years in the United States Foreign Service at embassies in the Ivory Coast and Japan. After his graduation from Yale in 1973, he lectured at Northwestern University and Oberlin University for short periods. He then settled in as an independent scholar and author.
Ophuls was awarded the Sprout Prize from the International Studies Association for his 1977 book Ecology and the Politics of Scarcity. In 1992, a revised edition was published as Ecology and the Politics of Scarcity Revisited. This work received the Kammerer Award from the American Political Science Association.
Work
Role in modern environmental movement
Ophuls played a part in the emergence of the modern environmental movement. The precursor of this movement in the United States was the early-20th century conservation movement, associated with President Theodore Roosevelt and Gifford Pinchot. This was the period in which U.S. Forest Service was formed, and that public concern for consumer protection began, spurred on by the publication of The Jungle by Upton Sinclair.
The origins of the modern environmental movement took place in the United States with the publication of Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, which pointed out the perils of pesticide use and rallied concern for the environment in general. Carson argued that nature deserved human protection and referred to pesticides as an atomic bomb for insects. She stated that these pesticides would cycle through the environment hurting humans and nature and thought they should be used wisely. Carson's work encouraged the environment activism that was soon to come.
Critiques of the misuse of technology from figures such as William Ophuls, Barry Commoner, and Garrett Hardin, and the ineffectiveness and criticism of the 1960s Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act, gave momentum to the environmental movement.
Leviathan or oblivion?, 1973
With the essay, entitled "Leviathan or oblivion?", Ophuls contributed to the influential 1973 anthology Toward a Steady-state Economy, edited by Herman Daly. Other writers and topics in the 1973 edition included:
Nicholas Georgescu-Roegen on "The Entropy Law and the Economic Problem". Preston Cloud on mineral resources. Paul R. Ehrlich and John Holdren on population. Leon R. Kass on bioethics. Kenneth E. Boulding on the "Economics of the Coming Spaceship Earth". Garrett Hardin's 1968 article "The Tragedy of the Commons." Herman Daly on the steady-state economy, and the essay, "Electric power, employment, and economic growth: a case study in growthmania." Warren A. Johnson on the guaranteed income as an environmental measure. Richard England and Barry Bluestone on ecology and social conflict. E. F. Schumacher on Small Is Beautiful, title of his book, also published in 1973. Walter A. Weisskopf on economic growth versus existential balance. Jørgen Randers and Donella Meadows on the carrying capacity of the environment. John B. Cobb on "ecology, ethics, and theology". C. S. Lewis on The Abolition of Man, an extract from his 1943 book of the same name.
In his contribution, "Leviathan or Oblivion?", Ophuls wrote on the political and economical implications of environmental problems. His main argument was that "because of the tragedy of the commons, environmental problems cannot be solved through cooperation...and the rationale for government with major coercive powers is overwhelming." According to Ophuls "reforming a corrupt people is a Herculean task," which only leaves us with the choice of becoming a leviathan or oblivion.
Eckersley (1992) argued that, "...although Ophuls has since moderated his position by placing a greater emphasis on the need for self restraint than on the need for external coercion, he continues to maintain that the latter must be resorted to if calls for the former are unsuccessful."